


Entwined

by MaudeZbornak



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Angst, Angst and Romance, Background GingerRose, Ben and Rey argue often, Contemporary AU, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Loss of Virginity, Oral Sex, Rey gets better, Rey is a bit of a bitch to start, Rimming, Romance, Rough Oral Sex, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Rey/Ben Solo, Vaginal Fingering, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), background stormpilot, frenemies to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:54:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 72,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28745784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaudeZbornak/pseuds/MaudeZbornak
Summary: Rey Jakkson grew up at Skywalker Vineyards and hoped to stay there forever, but father figure Luke’s untimely death leaves her future in doubt. Despite assurances from family and friends that she is secure, she can’t help but wonder what Luke’s heirs have in store for her.The last time Luke's older nephew Ben Solo visited Skywalker Vineyards, he was about to embark on his own career. A misunderstanding with teenager Rey leaves her crushed.Ten years later, no longer “just a kid,” Rey still has hard feelings, yet her schoolgirl infatuation with Ben has lingered and matured. It doesn't escape her that Ben has noticed the woman she’s become as well.This is a Contemporary AU romance, featuring:Winery and B&B settingsLuke appears in flashbacksCharacter illness late in story but no deathsRollercoaster love/hate emotions on Rey's part (a bit bitchy to start)Ben speaks fluent FrenchAbsolutely NO underage hanky panky or squicksDra-mahSurprises at the will readingContent warnings will appear in chapter notes as they occurThis is a novel length work. Hope you enjoy it.
Relationships: Lando Calrissian/Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 127
Kudos: 211





	1. Chapter 1

_Don’t you dare hold a g--damn funeral for me_ , read the first sentence. Rey’s tears had caused the ink to splotch and smear in places, but it didn’t matter to her if any words were rendered illegible as a result. She’d read it so many times since Luke’s passing that she’d memorized both pages.

In these words from the man who’d been like a father to her, Luke laid out his last wishes. No mourning, no sackcloth and ashes, no veils, no dirges. He wanted the money set aside for this event to budget a grand party with a DJ playing his favorite songs, a buffet provided by local vendors, and a selection of wines from the private reserve cellar -- Ahsoka knew what to take.

He wanted, also, for business as usual to continue. If any employee became too overwrought to work, though, Luke granted them permission from the grave to take personal leave without penalty. He wanted life to go on, and Rey knew it would irk him to discover they only partially fulfilled this request.

Beyond that, he affirmed his love for Ahsoka -- his companion of the last thirteen years and Rey’s adoptive mother -- and assured her that the two of them would always have a home at Skywalker Vineyards.

Rey folded the letter back into its envelope and, setting it on her desk, looked out her bedroom window at the activity in the distance. A white panel truck and two vans were parked close to the tasting room, with people scurrying in and out, unloading equipment and chairs and food. They were expecting around two hundred people to fill the ballroom space, though Rey imagined they’d exceed capacity.

Wine lovers all over the Shenandoah Valley were expected to come and celebrate Luke Skywalker’s legacy.

Guilt gnawed at her. She ought to be down there helping the crew, but Poe insisted he had everything under control on the winery side. Poe Dameron served as Luke’s assistant winemaker, his right hand man until the last day. By all accounts, Luke should have named him successor, and that added to the ill feelings roiling in her gut.

Nobody wanted to tell her what Luke had set forth in his will. Either they didn’t know, or they did and thought it better to wait until after the party. The furtive looks and silenced conversations whenever Rey entered a room irritated her. She wasn’t the pig-tailed imp who raced through rows of vines in a superhero cape -- that girl was grown now. She deserved to know.

 _I deserve to know my future_ , she thought. _Now._

With a force that toppled the pop figurines on her desk, she launched out of her chair and hurried downstairs to Luke’s office. From those windows, one could see the chicken house and a sizable vegetable garden to which Ahsoka tended regularly. The yield from both went straight to the kitchen of Amidala House, the five-room boutique inn she and Ahsoka had managed for Luke. This week, it served as housing for relatives and close friends coming in from around the country.

It meant delivering several _mea culpas_ to guests who had reserved the week, but with Luke’s deteriorating health they had no way of knowing he’d pass so soon. Thankfully, all parties were understanding and had rescheduled their visits.

Rey found Ahsoka at Luke’s desk, multiple papers spread out before her. The older woman didn’t appear to be reading any of them, merely staring. Who could blame her? She’d just lost the love of her life and Rey had yet to see tear one spill. Watching her attempt to stay strong for the sake of Luke’s affairs made Rey’s heart ache all the more for the woman who’d raised her.

“Have you eaten?” she asked, and stepped further into the room. “I was going to make a sandwich.”

Ahsoka lifted a teacup, as though the contents sufficed, and nodded toward the door. “Zorii was just here. She made bread and brought us an extra loaf.”

“I don’t see any bread.”

“Check the kitchen.” Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

“I’m making you lunch,” Rey said, but instead moved closer to the desk. One sheet of paper listed names of out-of-town guests and their respective flight times. All were due to arrive at the inn on a wine tour shuttle volunteered by its owners. It warmed Rey’s heart to see so many people in the community pitching in to help. A number of wineries had even cut their business hours today out of respect.

“Let’s go over this one more time first,” Ahsoka said. “I want everyone to be comfortable.”

“They will.” Rey had overseen the housekeepers and even took on a few extra chores herself. The inn was spotless and ready to receive their visitors. If any of them so much as swabbed a gloved finger along a shelf, they’d pick up nothing.

Ahsoka touched a pen tip to each name, going down the list. “Luke’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are in Tatooine,” she said, referring to the room’s name. All rooms at Amidala House, save for one, were named for places Luke had traveled in his youth.

“Ben Kenobi will be next to them in Naboo,” Ahsoka continued. “Mace Windu is in Coruscant, and Mon Mothma in the Yavin.” She gathered the papers and tapped them into a neat pile.

“Yes,” Rey said, “and _they_ will have the Mara Jade suite.”

Ahsoka glared at her. “I hope, by that tone, you’re letting out all your bitterness now before people start arriving.”

“I will behave, Ahsoka. Just don’t expect me to act all lovey-dovey towards them.”

“I don’t get the hostility, Rey. We are talking about Luke’s closest family. Leia is a wonderful lady and Ben has always been polite. They have done absolutely nothing to you.”

“Yet.” Rey refused to say their names out loud for fear of incurring some kind of curse. As Luke left no biological heirs, his sister and nephew were next in line. They owned and operated one of the highest producing wineries in the country, second only to Gallo. To Rey’s memory, they’d only come to Skywalker twice before, the most recent visit nearly a decade ago.

Now, Leia Organa and Ben Solo stood poised to boot them out of their home and jobs. What stopped them? They were family, and a tear-soaked letter from Luke promising Rey a place at Skywalker Vineyards may not be viewed as legally binding.

 _You should have married him_ , Rey wanted to tell her adoptive mother. She got that Luke and Ahsoka were not old-fashioned people who felt they needed rings and a license to affirm their love, but damned if they wouldn’t come in handy.

Ahsoka sighed and shook her head. “It appears I have to break a promise. Luke asked me to wait until after the party to loop you in on the estate planning. He didn’t want ill thoughts to interfere with everybody’s good time.” She gestured for Rey to sit; lunch was forgotten. “You have no reason to worry. Shortly after Luke received his diagnosis, we went to his lawyer. He transferred the inn and the parcel of land it’s on to me. I own Amidala House outright, and according to my will it will pass to you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The knot in Rey’s stomach loosened and she relaxed. “These last two days, I’ve been browsing Indeed listings.”

“I’m not trying to cause you misery, Rey. There’s a lot to sort through with Luke’s estate, and we need to see to the needs of two hundred people tonight,” Ahsoka said.

“At least our livelihood is secure,” Rey said. Leia and her son couldn’t take it away even if they wanted. A thought then occurred to her. “Ill thoughts, you said. What about this house? They’ll probably get the winery, obviously, but we live here. This house is on a different parcel.” Rey put her hands on Ahsoka’s arm. “Please tell me he transferred the house to you, too.”

“That I don’t know.” Ahsoka shook her head. “We’ll find out when the will is read. He updated it after his diagnosis, but didn’t advise me of everything he did.”

“He was practically your husband!” Rey slapped the desk. “Why give us the inn if we have to move? And where are we going to go?” Luke owned a healthy chunk of land in the Shenandoah Valley; here the nearest residential neighbor was three miles down the road. Rey cringed at the idea of having to commute from Crozet or Waynesboro to manage the inn. They had to be close to run it.

“Worse comes to worse, we use the Mara Jade suite as our quarters,” Ahsoka said. “Or, we clear out the cottage and move back in. I do own that, too.”

The old innkeeper’s cottage had been their first home on Skywalker land. It had come with the innkeeper position when Ahsoka took the job. Now it served as storage space. “The cottage was in need of repair when it was habitable,” Rey said. “It’ll cost a fortune to renovate. We may as well build something new.”

“I know what you’re thinking, and it may not be as bad as you think. Assuming Luke has left the winery and house to Leia, it doesn’t mean she will relocate. She has enough in California to occupy her.”

“So, what? We become her tenants? Pay her rent?” Rey’s lip curled, disgusted at the thought. “You and I turned the inn around. Our work helped pay its construction bills.”

Ahsoka twined her fingers over the papers. “I’m sure Leia will take that into consideration. Let’s not rehearse a reaction to a situation that may not happen.”

“Fine.” Rey glanced down at several envelopes fanned out by Ahsoka’s arm. “Those are mine?” She pointed. “They have my name on them.”

Ahsoka quickly scooped them up. “They are, but I’m not supposed to give them to you yet.”

“Why?”

“These are from Luke. He wrote these for you to read at specific times.” Ahsoka slipped the letters into a side drawer and locked it.

“Why all the mystery? This isn’t the Oscars. Hand them over.”

Ahsoka’s glare turned to fire. “In due time, Rey. And no, I haven’t read what he wrote to you. You’ll have to be patient and focus on what we can control. Now,” she pressed her hands on the desk and pushed herself to stand, “I believe we were going to have lunch.”

Rey huffed, but led the way to the kitchen and prepared two grilled cheese sandwiches using thick slices of Zorii’s homemade bread. All the while, Ahsoka talked about the itinerary for the next few days. The same tour company bringing over their guests had offered a free excursion to different wineries in the area tomorrow. “I expect the guests not related to Luke may take advantage of that.”

“Mr. Kenobi may want to come with us,” Rey said, and poured two glasses of apple juice.

“We’ll see. Will you be here when they arrive?”

“I promised Poe I’d help finish setup at the winery.” This was a lie. “Jannah and Zorii have the hospitality room prepared. There’s plenty of food for whoever’s hungry, and there’s a bottle of each of the most recent releases ready to open.” This was not a lie. Rey had arranged for their staff to ready the inn so she wouldn’t have to show her face.

She didn’t want to be there when _they_ stepped off the shuttle.

Especially _him_.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey downed her sandwich and juice quickly and excused herself to her room. Ahsoka’s continued talk made Luke’s passing sound like a conference -- everything was tied to an event. Truth be told, acknowledging his death without a party worked for her. She dreaded the idea of milling among friends and well-wishers, all pawing her arms and drawing her into awkward hugs with sympathetic clucking. _He loved you and Ahsoka so much._

Did he? How come she struggled to accept it? She was grateful he’d had the foresight to transfer ownership of the inn to Ahsoka before he died, but she pondered the uncertainty of his other assets. If Luke had truly loved the woman who raised her, he’d have appointed Ahsoka executor. He’d have revealed his end of life plans instead of shrouding them in mystery.

But he’d chosen his lawyer. Mr. Threepio was a reed-thin, no-nonsense Ivy Leaguer who probably wore a suit to bed. He’d sent his regrets for tonight, too, so that negated plying him with wine in order to draw out Luke’s secrets. Rey wondered if Luke had made changes to his will right up to the end, as though unsure himself about his final bequests.

She thought of her friends on the winery side. Were it up to her, Poe Dameron would inherit the winery and the vines. She knew he dreamed of owning a vineyard...why not take over an established place and put his own spin on it? It beat the possibilities of Luke’s family taking over.

They could lay off Poe and bring in their own winemakers.

They could sell at a price Poe couldn’t afford.

They could close down Skywalker Vineyards altogether and liquidate because they have no interest in running businesses on both coasts. Where would that leave the inn, especially if another company developed the land next to it?

Each scenario, darker than the last, clouded her mind and she paced the length of her room to burn off the negative energy. “Luke, why did you die?” she said aloud. “You weren’t finished. What game are you playing beyond the grave?”

She stopped at her closet and pulled out the dress she planned to wear that evening. Deep red velvet, V-neck with spaghetti straps, floor length with a slit up her left leg. She slid her fingers over the material, thinking it was probably the most adult garment she owned. Working full-time at a country inn left little to no opportunity for something so elegant. She lived in jeans and flannel shirts.

So did Luke, which was why she found the idea of a formal party in his honor absurd. Luke dressed up for New Year’s Eve, maybe for a fundraiser, and that was it. He would have specified casual dress, barbecued ribs, and a cornhole game on the lawn for his send off, but was instead getting a prom. Rey thought back to Ahsoka’s FaceTime discussions with Leia about these plans, with the latter getting her way, and sighed. She’d stay quiet for the sake of keeping the peace.

Rey slipped the dress into a wardrobe bag, grabbed her heels and a tote holding her clutch purse and makeup bag, and left the house without informing Ahsoka. She hoped to avoid a plea to change her plans, an insistence that Poe was capable of handling the party setup. As much as the idea of losing her home worried her, the prospect of coming face-to-face with Ben Solo again left her terrified.

She wasn’t ready for him yet.

It was a nice afternoon, sunny and cool for a Wednesday in March. She left her car in its space and walked the quarter mile to the winery. The tasting room had an anteroom used by brides whenever Skywalker Vineyards hosted a wedding. She’d place her belongings there and change.

As she walked, she thought back to the first time she and Ben Solo met.

***

Ahsoka answered the phone on the first ring and nearly danced a jig as she listened. Her long blonde hair with its blue highlights swayed and brushed her shoulders.

The caller was impressed by her resume and wanted an interview, but could she come today? Ahsoka wasn’t able to find a sitter at such short notice, but the caller said, “Bring your child along. We love kids.”

Eight-year-old Rey knew she wasn’t Ahsoka’s birth daughter. Her mother died the previous year of cancer, and her father was never in the picture save for the moment of conception. With no other relatives to claim Rey Jakkson, Ahsoka Tano -- as godmother -- stepped in without hesitation. The change this brought to both their lives necessitated a search for a new job to accommodate their needs.

The opening at Skywalker Vineyards for an innkeeper seemed perfect. Ahsoka bundled Rey into the car with a few coloring books to occupy her, said a prayer, and drove the winding road from Waynesboro to Afton.

The woman greeting them at the tasting room introduced herself as Leia Solo. “So you know, I’ll be conducting interviews on behalf of my brother. I have no ownership or stake in his business, but since his wife passed away last month I’m helping out.”

Sad news indeed. Ahsoka settled Rey into a leather armchair near the fireplace and met with Mrs. Solo at the tasting bar to conduct the interview. With the winery closed for the day and few workers milling around, the young girl heard everything.

She learned that Luke Skywalker and his wife, Mara Jade, had opened the inn last year to supplement the winery business. With bed and breakfast inns in high demand in Shenandoah wine country, they’d hoped to attract guests with wine-themed packages and destination weddings and honeymoons.

Then Mara got sick. Though Mr. Skywalker was in mourning, Mrs. Solo said, he decided to keep the inn as a tribute. “He’s renamed the largest suite after her,” his sister said.

Rey watched Ahsoka detail her experience. Between her jobs as an office manager, teacher’s assistant, and barista, she argued that the combined skills qualified her. She knew accounting and restaurant inventory, she’d supervised others, she cooked well, and she had ideas for marketing the inn to increase reservations.

Rey opened to a new page in her book and colored in the sky. She heard Mrs. Solo explain that the innkeeper would live on property, rent free, in the adjacent cottage. Rey already knew that Ahsoka had researched whether or not Rey needed to change schools. She wanted to shout to Ahsoka to mention the website, and how she could create a better one. But she remembered to stay quiet.

Mrs. Solo caught her eye, and the older woman smiled. “Would you like to see the inn and cottage, Rey? We’ll hop in the golf cart and I’ll drive us over. Amidala House is beautiful. Mrs. Skywalker decorated every room herself. Plus,” Mrs. Solo walked over to the armchair and bent forward, “we have chickens.”

Rey had seen a pair of dogs gamboling on the property when they arrived. That the Skywalker family also raised chickens led her to think this was more of a farm than a winery, but she kept the opinion to herself. The quieter she remained, the less likely she’d jinx this opportunity.

At first glance, the coop more resembled a backyard playhouse than a place for chickens. The actual nesting box was raised on wooden supports, with a ramp set up to allow the chickens access. The structure was surrounded by thin wire fencing, and a small window in the nesting area allowed a few feathered heads to poke out and leer at their visitors.

Mrs. Solo warned Rey not to touch the fencing, as it was electrified to discourage foxes.

“My brother got them several months ago, around the time he started the garden. Its maintenance is part of the job description,” Mrs. Solo was saying. “The goal is to have a mostly self-sufficient kitchen within the year. All the food served here and at the winery is farm-to-fork, and he only buys from local vendors.” She smiled at Rey. “Once you’ve had a fresh egg for breakfast, you’ll never buy them from the supermarket again.”

Rey didn’t care much for eggs, but she only smiled back and turned her attention to the half-dozen chickens strutting around the enclosed run. The sound of a screen door clattering against its jamb caused her to start, and she turned to see a very tall figure in denim overalls and a black t-shirt squinting into the light.

“Ben, be careful,” Mrs. Solo admonished the teenager trudging down the path toward them. “You’re going to tear that door off the hinges.” She then introduced her son, here also to help for the summer. He was polite and mute and had at least a foot’s height on his mother. Rey had never seen somebody so tall outside a televised basketball game.

He shook hands with Ahsoka, and nodded a greeting to Rey. In his other hand, he held the strap of an insulated lunch box. “Uncle Luke asked me to collect the eggs,” he said in a deep voice.

“Can I watch?” Rey asked. These were the first words out of her mouth, and they surprised her. It wasn’t so much that she wanted to get closer to the chickens, but there was something about the inn and cottage that unnerved her. What if they were both beautiful inside, clean and smelling of fresh flowers and sugar cookies? She worried she might fall in love with this place and, if Ahsoka was passed over for the job, she’d sting from the loss of an idyllic would-be home.

Chickens...chickens smelled bad and pecked at shoes. If they never returned, she’d at least look back and associate the little devils with Skywalker Vineyards and count her blessings.

Ben shrugged. “I don’t mind. I’ll bring her back to you when we’re done.”

Mrs. Solo led Ahsoka through the same screen door, assuring her of Rey’s safety, and how Ben was good with kids. “He’s about to make Eagle,” was the last thing Rey heard.

She followed Ben to the coop. “How many eggs do you get every day?”

“If all the hens are laying, six,” he said. “It takes over twenty-four hours for a hen to produce an egg. Since I’ve been here, we’ve been getting about three to five a day.” He stopped in front of the nesting box and lowered himself on his haunches to watch the birds tottering around the shaded run. Like this, he was nearly eye level with Rey. His face fascinated her; he looked as though some features had grown faster than others, yet he wasn’t ugly.

“Do they have names?”

“No, actually.” He nodded toward the house. “Maybe if your mom gets this job, you can name them.”

“Maybe.” She saw no point in correcting him. Ben then asked if she’d like to hold the open cooler while he lifted the hinged lid of the nesting box.

“Well, look at that. Six for six,” he said, and gathered the eggs by twos. He lined them in the bottom of the bag.

“They all look different,” Rey said. Nothing like what Ahsoka bought at Martin’s Supermarket. “And that one’s green!”

“Yeah. Different chickens lay different colors. That green one…” Ben pointed out a light brown bird, “probably came from the Starlight Egger. And see the black and whites? Those are Wyandottes, and they give brown eggs like these.” He held up two in one hand.

As though bidden by his words, one of the Wyandottes scurried to the fence where they stood.

“Which ones taste best?”

Ben took the bag from her and zipped it shut. “I think they’re all good. The yolks are darker, like gold, and have more flavor. Like my mother said, you have one and you won’t go back to the store.” His smile dropped a bit. “I’ve been spoiled by the food here. I’ll have to find a good farmer’s market when I go back to California.”

“Do you live near Disneyland?”

He laughed. “I wish.”

“I wish I did, too.”

True to his word, Ben led her through the back door of the inn, where Ahsoka and Mrs. Solo sat opposite each other in the hospitality room, a tray of cookies on the coffee table between them. Rey grabbed a cookie at the older woman’s invitation and snuggled into Ahsoka’s side.

Ahsoka stroked her hair. “Have fun with the chickens, punkin?” Rey nodded, which must have signaled Mrs. Solo onto something, because she leaned over to speak directly to her.

“Well, you’re more than welcome to help with the eggs tomorrow. I’ve asked Ahsoka to come back to meet Mr. Skywalker. How does that sound?”

It sounded promising. Rey smiled and took a second cookie when offered, just as Ben emerged from the kitchen area with a duster and hand vacuum for cleaning the rooms. He double-backed at his mother’s request to say goodbye to their guests.

“See you ‘round, punkin,” he said to Rey, and grabbed the last cookie.

***

Luke hired Ahsoka on sight that next day. In retrospect, to Rey it had seemed like a means to an end -- bringing in a new worker so his helicopter parent of a sister would return to California and her own business. Indeed, Ahsoka proved her worth during her first full week on the job that Leia agreed to cut her stay short. Rey liked that Luke was nice to her from the beginning.

In his own way, so was Ben. He was a teenager, though, preoccupied with teenage thoughts. Through the remaining time of his visit he didn’t hold Rey’s interest; he was merely the boy who walked from the inn to the winery and back, always with a chore to complete. When the Solos departed she figured they would fade into the background of Luke’s life via phone calls and Christmas cards.

Rey discovered Leia and Ben had each been correct about one thing, though. Nothing beat a free-range egg for breakfast. Once she acquired a taste for them, she told Ahsoka she never wanted the uniform, Styrofoam-packed product again.

Second, after they settled into the cottage, Luke let her name the chickens. The first six were christened monikers of various Disney characters. Over the years, as she grew and her tastes changed, replacement chickens answered to names from Sailor Moon and the Harry Potter books, among other franchises.

It took some time for Rey to convince Ahsoka, and others at the winery and inn who came and went, to cease calling her “punkin.” She never cared for the babyish endearment, and everybody eventually relented.

All but one person.

She kept walking to keep memories of Ben’s second visit from surfacing. There was too much more to think about right now.


	3. Chapter 3

She paused at the front door of the winery, looking back from where she’d walked. Despite the growth, much of the landscape had stayed the same since she and Ahsoka had come to live here. That first day had become a pleasant memory. She had to admit, yes, that meeting the Solos was not awful.

She’d need to tap into all her energy to get through this visit, however.

The winery’s ballroom, built as an addition to the tasting room five years ago, was located at the end of a long hallway, the entrance of which split the two long tasting bars on either side of the main room. Rey walked past the leather couches and communal tables, all prepared for tomorrow’s normal business hours, and set her party outfit in the anteroom adjacent to Luke’s office.

The light illuminating the frosted glass window with Luke’s name etched in black threw her; for a moment she expected to peer through and find Luke’s pixelated silhouette hunched over his desk, crunching numbers and catching up with key staff. That she noticed movement at all concerned her. Far as she knew, Ahsoka had the only key.

Opening the door, she saw Poe leaning back on Luke’s desk, head bent as he listened on his phone. His responses came in short, curt words and grunts, but when he caught sight of Rey his mood lightened. “Hey, can I call you back?” he asked, and rang off without saying goodbye. “Have you gone in there yet? Good. Indulge me a bit here.”

“What are you doing?” She didn’t resist when Poe came around her and put one hand over her eyes. Drawing her into the crook of his arm, he led her back into the hall. “This is silly,” she said.

“Trust me. This is worthy of a reveal.” With slow steps they approached the closed double doors of the ballroom. “No peeking,” he warned, and she heard the _snick_ of one door opening and the rush of cool air and ambient noise -- silverware being set in place, the DJ testing his equipment, lids being removed from chafing dishes.

It sounded like magic about to happen, and when Poe stepped back to let her take in the sight she realized it. All the tables were draped with white tablecloths, and leafy centerpieces adorned the round tables for dining. Potted palms decorated with white string lights lined the picture windows along the side wall, which presented a breathtaking view of the Viognier vines. And up above…

Rey looked up at the wooden beams bracing the rafters of the cathedral ceiling. Poe had installed LED rope lights, which at the moment glowed soft white.

“It’s beautiful.” Perhaps Leia’s vision for a farewell prom wasn’t so bad.

“Yeah, but watch this.” Poe produced a remote control and, after a few adjustments, had altered the colors from violet to blue to green and back to white. “We can make them blink at once or sequentially...turn this place into a disco.”

“Luke always wanted to rig up Christmas lighting to sync to music,” Rey said. “I think the prospect of an off the charts power bill stopped that.”

“Wherever in the cosmos he’s surfing, I hope he can see it.”

Rey drew him into a one-armed hug. “He’d have loved fooling around with that remote. You better get dressed. People are coming.”

“Finn’s bringing my suit. What about you?”

“I’m not wearing a suit.”

Poe rolled his eyes. “Do you want to borrow the golf cart to go back to your house and change?”

“I’m changing in the bridal room.”

“Good.” He winked. “Make room for me.”

“Pig.” She left him to tie up loose ends, and walked along the buffet, scoping out all the options. Several food vendors and chefs had volunteered fare and their services for tonight. It was a lovely tribute to Luke, plus a good opportunity for everyone to promote their businesses to guests. Rey chatted with the people she knew and introduced herself to the rest.

The Tico sisters, Paige and Rose, operated one of the more popular food trucks in Shenandoah. Wherever they parked, people lined up for their rotating menu of tacos, sandwiches and lumpia. Checking out the serving dishes, Rey noticed they’d brought an assortment of sliders with the slim, crunchy rolls.

Both women had come dressed for the party in A-line dresses hitting just below the knee, Rose in dark blue and Paige in emerald. Paige, older by five years, wore her hair up, while Rose had affixed a pearl headpiece to her short cut.

Rose fussed with a stack of business cards, looking for the perfect spot to display them. “Everything looks amazing. Has Ahsoka seen it yet?”

“No. She’s waiting for the shuttle to come from the airport.” She added on seeing their expectant faces, “They’re all flying into Richmond, so it could be a while.”

“They won’t be too late, I hope?” Paige asked. “I’m hoping to talk to Ms. Organa tonight.”

Since divorcing Ben’s father, Leia had returned to using the name of her former guardian. Rey was vaguely familiar with the story but never pressed anyone for details. Not her concern. “Well, I guess if she’s up to talking about business, it’s up to her.” It irritated her how quickly the Ticos were jumping the gun. The winery wasn’t Leia’s yet, if it would be at all.

“If not tonight, when?” Rose asked. “We need to know where we stand, too.” Twisted Sisters Tacos & More currently had a standing agreement with Skywalker Vineyards to provide their menu every Saturday afternoon. Of course, other vendors were part of the monthly guest truck rotation, but few were as regular as the sisters.

Rey didn’t miss that the weekend crowds peaked whenever the Ticos set up in the space reserved for trucks. It stood to reason, though, that anyone who loved their food would seek them out wherever they landed.

“The family meets with the lawyer tomorrow,” Rey said. “Meanwhile, you’re still on for this Saturday, right? I wouldn’t worry.”

Rose held a business card at the edges between her thumb and middle finger, bending it into a curve. “We sell best here. Skywalker is the largest winery on the Route 151 trail. You can accommodate more people. I don’t want to lose that.”

“Why do you think you will?” Luke’s credo, as long as Rey had known him, was to help all surrounding businesses, especially the women- and minority-owned. _A rising tide lifts all boats_ , he liked to say.

“Poe would let the trucks stay on,” Paige said. “We don’t know if the Solos will decide to move all food sales in-house.” She leaned slightly to watch early guests enter the ballroom. “I want Ms. Organa to try our food for herself. That should convince her that we, all the trucks, have a place here.”

Rose gave a lascivious smile. “If that doesn’t work, you and I can convince Ben Solo in other ways.” She nudged her sister and they laughed.

_Lord._ “I have to get dressed.” She left the two to their scheming. It never failed how every conversation with Paige and/or Rose eventually turned racy. Rey laughed along whenever in the mood, but tonight wasn't it. At least, nobody could accuse either sister of putting passion into everything they did.

She edged past the growing crowd bottlenecked at the doors, and looked back to where the sisters now zeroed in on Poe, who definitely cleaned up well. She locked the anteroom door and removed her work clothes. Standing a moment in her underwear, she held the dress to her and studied her reflection in the long mirror on the door. Memories came unbidden to her and she closed her eyes to expel them. She almost succeeded but for four words that echoed in her mind without fading.

_...she’s just a kid…_

To think as she walked the short distance from the buffet to here that she considered warning Ben Solo off the man-hungry Ticos...that is, when she could face him herself. It frustrated her that she allowed the ghostly voice of a conversation not meant for her ears to taunt her still.

Let him learn the hard way.

The dress caressed her skin as she stepped in and pulled it over her hips and torso. Tonight, she’d prove to everyone in that ballroom that Rey Jakkson was no longer "just a kid."


	4. Chapter 4

Ahsoka looked beautiful. Her satin aqua pantsuit nicely complimented her tanned skin and the blue streaks she’d kept in her hair. As Rey watched from a distance, while her adoptive mother chatted with Owen and Beru Lars, she recalled when Leia introduced her and Ahsoka to Luke during the second interview. That day, apparently, the former Mrs. Solo was unable to control her _sotto voce_ , and Rey heard the woman ask her brother if she should pose the suggestion of a more professional hairstyle.

Luke, hilariously unfiltered, had said aloud, “I don’t care if she’s bald with a checkerboard painted on her head, so long as she’s competent.”

Rey smiled at the memory. Over time, he’d come to love the hair, and much more about Ahsoka.

“You going to finish that?”

Rey looked to her side. Finn was already reaching for the lumpia on her plate and she slapped his hand. “Get your own,” she said.

“They’re out. Anyway, it’s not for me. Rose and Paige are panicking right now,” he said, and pointed out the end of the buffet where the sisters talked with sharp hand gestures. “They’re arguing over who has to go home and get provisions.”

“They didn’t bring their truck?” Yet as Rey asked she knew the answer. She’d not seen a vehicle with the stylized, Ed Hardy-esque logo of the Twisted Sisters in the parking lot.

“Guess they thought everybody was going to eat before they got here. They should have known better.” Finn laughed. “They wanted to save a plate for Ms. Organa. I said I’d check for leftovers, but…” He shrugged. “A testament to how good their food is.”

“Yeah.” She handed Finn her plate. “Is Leia not here?”

“You don’t know?”

She didn’t. Ahsoka had said nothing about forming a reception line for the party, so Rey had focused on working the room. She talked with people in the community coming to pay their respects, and connected with Mace Windu and Ben Kenobi while waiting for food. She danced with the latter through two songs, then milled around some more.

Throughout the evening, she caught Ahsoka’s eye but didn’t dare join her. Coming within her personal space all but guaranteed a run-in with Ben, but apparently Rey had avoided her for nothing. She’d figured the California family would hang with the East Coast family for the evening, leaving Ben to the mercy of his great-aunt and great-uncle.

Finn didn’t wait for an answer. He thanked her for the lumpia and dashed off to the nearest table. It gave Rey an idea.

The sisters’ consternation tipped close to overheating when Rey approached. “Everything okay?” Understatement of the year.

“We turned up short,” Paige said, her glare fixed on Rose. “Seems somebody left two trays of food back at the house, and that somebody should go get them.” 

“You were responsible for the final inventory check before we left,” Rose countered. “I am not leaving this station. I handle the business transactions with all venues, so I should be here for Ms. Organa.”

“Hey, come on.” Rey indicated the end of the buffet line where people were watching the scene play out. “We can fix this. I don’t even think Leia is here yet.”

“I know. We haven’t seen her or Ben. Where could they be?”

“Maybe their connecting flight got delayed. They were the furthest away. Everybody else is from the East Coast and they're here.” It was possible. Rey imagined Leia and Ben stuck in their connecting airport, waiting to leave. “I mean, they might not come until tomorrow if that’s the case, so you’re fine.”

“Still, we need the food,” Rose said. “This looks bad, like we didn’t prepare.”

“Tell you what.” Rey held out her hand. “Give me your keys and tell me where to find the trays. I’ll bring them over.”

“Seriously? Rey, this is awesome. We owe you for this.” Paige removed the coiled wristlet from her right hand and gave it to her. “The key opens the side door which goes straight into the kitchen. Check the stove first, then the big dining table. That’s where we staged everything. You need the address?”

“No, I remember how to get to your house. I won’t be long.” She left to their gratitude and slipped around the food servers to reach the exit without people and other obstacles slowing her. She searched the dance floor and serving line for Ahsoka but saw no sign of her, and assumed she’d gone to the ladies’ room.

No matter. The Ticos lived close by and nobody would miss her for the next half hour or so. Hopefully the golf cart was where the staff normally left it, with the key still in the ignition. She’d drive it back to her car, which was parked at the house, and figure out where to park here when she returned.

Exiting into the dimly lit tasting room, she heard activity. An unmistakable, smoky voice stressed her appreciation for the winery’s hospitality. “We just thought it best to rent a car while we're here,” Leia Organa was saying. “There are a number of errands I wanted to run, and I figured this was easier than having somebody on call to drive us all over creation.”

“It’s no trouble, and you didn’t have to spend the money. You’re free to borrow the -- Rey!”

_Damn!_ She was almost to the door. Rey swallowed, turned, and forced a smile as Luke’s sister crossed the room.

She and Ahsoka were apparently reconnecting privately. Ben wasn’t with them. Like Ahsoka, Leia wore an elegant pantsuit -- this one dark bronze. Her shoulder-length hair, gathered in the back with a large barrette, had grayed at the temples, and she now wore glasses. Older than when Rey last saw her, yes, but no less graceful.

“Oh my goodness, look at you. How many broken hearts did you leave in that ballroom, huh?” Leia closed in with arms wide and Rey gave into the embrace. She sent a silent plea to Ahsoka over Leia’s shoulder, but her adoptive mother only shrugged, helpless.

_Thanks for nothing._ Not that she could blame Ahsoka. Once caught up in Hurricane Leia, nobody escaped.

“Guests are asking about you. I thought for a moment your plane was delayed.”

“We arrived on time. We bypassed the courtesy shuttle you sent to rent a car. Not that we didn’t appreciate the gesture.” She glanced back at Ahsoka. “There was a line at the service counter, of course, then a wreck on I-64. You live here, you know how traffic is.” Leia stepped back, still clutching Rey’s hand, and gave her the once-over. “What I wouldn’t give to pull off a look like this again. Last time I saw you, you were straight as a board. Now you’re a pinup!”

“Leia.” Rey flushed hot. “You can wear anything you want. Let’s go in the back and switch outfits,” she joked.

“Gravity, my dear. It’s a four-letter word in disguise. Now,” she glanced back at Ahsoka, “how are you holding up? And where are you rushing off to alone at night?”

“I'm doing okay, Leia. It's been a rough week, but having friends around helps. In fact, I'm helping one now. I won’t be long, I have to run up to the house.” She saw no reason to offer further details.

“Hurry back, okay? I’ll need you to rescue me from Owen and Beru.” Leia patted her hand.

Ahsoka joined them and led Leia away. Rey’s smile turned genuine at the gesture, knowing her adoptive mother had picked up on her growing agitation. “Speaking of, Leia,” Ahsoka said, “everybody’s waiting to see you.”

Leia nodded and they walked away. Her vocal amazement at the changes made to the winery filled the space Rey was relieved to leave now.

Outside, Rey paused on the open, wraparound deck and grasped the nearest hand railing to hold her balance on the steps. Holy mother, it was cold! She’d forgotten the first rule of Central Virginia weather: never trust it. The temperature must have dropped ten degrees since the afternoon. She’d have to find a sweater at the house.

The sight of an empty parking space by the loading bay inspired a groan. “No,” she said. “Poe, where did you leave the cart?” She snapped open her clutch and composed a text to him, but missed a letter when a voice rang out in the dark.

“Excuse me.”

She froze, heart in her throat. The tall figure coming in from the visitor’s lot remained shrouded, and the ominous crunch of gravel growing louder let her know he’d arrive too soon for her comfort.

“I had to make my own parking space back there. The lot is full,” he said. “I wanted to be sure my car wouldn’t get towed…”

Ben Solo stepped into the perimeter of light created by the security lamps installed on the soffits of the roof. He stopped at the foot of the long steps, his face softening when their gazes locked.

"Hello," he said.

_Please,_ she thought-willed to him, _please don’t call me punkin_.

“Rey?”

_Thank you._

“Hello, Ben.” She congratulated herself for getting the words out without squealing, or giggling. Because the sight of six-foot-extra of Ben Solo in black tie inspired all manner of lust-struck reactions. He’d grown out his hair since his last visit; it was dark and full and framed his face. He was clean shaven, too, which disappointed her. He had a mustache the last time, plus a nice dusting of chin stubble. Rey rather liked facial hair on a man, and on Ben it had definitely worked.

Why the thought of Ben needing to grow his back bloomed in her mind confused her. Ben Solo wasn’t an ornament for her to admire.

Yet, she had to have her fill.

He opened his mouth to speak but slowly closed it, and grasped the railing himself. The longest minute of her life passed before conversation resumed.

“I didn’t recognize you, from back there,” he finally said, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. “You have...I mean…”

“It’s been a while, yes,” she said. The dress worked; she looked grown up, and it nearly rendered Ben mute. Much as she longed to bask in this small victory, she acknowledged that pride wasn’t a virtue. Nonetheless, she couldn’t resist shifting her stance so the split side of her dress fluttered to expose her leg. “So you know, we aren’t towing. I’m sure wherever you parked is fine. You should go on in, though. People are waiting to see you.”

“You looked like you were leaving. Are you coming back?”

She didn’t miss how his gaze panned down the line of her bare leg and back to her eyes.

“One of the vendors providing food ran low. I volunteered to get the trays they left behind at their house. It’s a short drive and I won’t be long. I’ll see you inside later.” She moved to the other side of the railing to descend the stairs. In doing this, she realized she now had to walk a quarter mile in heels to get to her car in order to leave this awkward conversation.

Rose and Paige really owed her big.

Passing Ben on the way down proved a challenging hurdle. He laid his hand on hers when her high heels touched the gravel. The resulting shiver rippled through her, affecting her more than the cold.

“Hang on. I’ll come with you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and thank you for the comments so far. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story. As of this date (1/19/21) I will endeavor to post every other day since I have up to 18 chapters done so far.

“What? No, I can handle it.” She pulled from his touch and resumed a path into the night. She focused on the road, fighting the urge to look back. Of course Ben was watching her.

Question was, where specifically was he watching?

“You’re going to walk in those shoes, in the dark, all the way to your house,” he called after her. “And not freeze to death.”

 _Don’t you mean your mother’s house?_ “My phone has a flashlight.” She kept walking.

“My rental car has heat, and wheels.”

And proximity. It probably smelled like him now, like the bay rum soap she detected in the brief moment they passed each other. The same woodsy, sweet scent from his last visit, in which she’d once fantasized of drowning.

“I’m happy for you.” _Keep. Fucking. Walking._

Rapid footfalls sounded behind her. “At the very least, let me drive you to the house,” he said when he caught up to her. “Even if your feet don’t go numb and blistered from the hike, one of your heels could hit a soft spot on the dirt road. You turn an ankle and you’ll end up in the E.R.”

“If it will get me some peace and quiet, okay.” She stopped and nodded. “Thank you, Ben. Please drive me to the house.”

“You’re shaking.”

Rey saw the next act of chivalry coming. _No. Don’t take off your dinner jacket. Don’t show me your broad chest and wide shoulders and inspire me to want to run my hands up the front of your shirt and play with those tiny little buttons…_

“Thank you,” she repeated when he draped his jacket around her. “You may take me to where you illegally parked.”

“It’s not a handicapped spot. I’m not that evil.” He double-taked at her sudden burst of laughter but said nothing. The rental was a white four-door sedan which Ben had left on the side of the narrow road. It was well enough out of harm’s way, but given how some people drove in the area she hoped the Solos had opted for insurance.

She tossed the jacket in the back seat and buckled up. “You mentioned heat,” she said, and fiddled with the dash options.

“Where are we headed?”

“The house. Where I live,” she said, feeling edgy. Ben was coming up on the turnoff too hot. He’d spray gravel and dig a tire into the road if he didn’t slow down.

“Ben,” she warned. “Back up. You missed the turn.”

“No, I didn’t.”

_Rey, you idiot. You knew he was going to do this._

She also knew she wanted to be in this car.

They passed the house and reached the main road, and Ben held the brake at the lip of the vineyard’s entrance. “Which way?”

“Why should I tell you? It’s obvious you can’t follow directions.”

Ben shut off the engine and turned fully in his seat to face her. “So you mean to tell me you’d rather haul trays of food, which could weigh a ton, while dressed for the Oscars, instead of allowing a friend to help?” He kept his voice cool and calm, and every word stabbed at her like the dressing down it was meant to be. She realized she was acting stubborn, but Ben’s insistence on involving himself in this chore triggered feelings of inadequacy.

Poe said he had the party setup down; he chased her away. Ahsoka was hiding important estate information from her. Ben sitting this close to her brought back a humiliating moment she wanted erased from memory.

She really was just a kid, dressed as a grownup.

Ben sighed. “Rey, I’m sorry. Losing Uncle Luke...I know what you’re going through. We all want to be strong and carry on because he’d wish it,” he said. “I’d like to think he’d be here instead of me, making sure you got to wherever safely.”

“He rather enjoyed saving me from myself,” Rey said, lifting one side side of her lip.

“I’d never forgive myself if you ruined that dress bringing in catered food when it’s not really your job.” He looked her up and down again, his gaze appearing to pause on her breasts. “What are we picking up, anyway?”

“A tray of lumpia, not sure what else.”

“There you go. One splash of grease and they owe you a cleaning bill. Now.” He cranked the engine. “Which way?”

She saw his smile and no longer had no use for the car’s heater. “Turn left.”

***

Rose and Paige Tico’s parents transferred the deed to the family home three years ago, when the sisters applied for a Home Food Processing Operation license. Originally, they intended to sell homemade sauces and soup starters at area farmer’s markets and festivals. When Rose brought her lunch of homemade lumpia to the summer market in Staunton one weekend, people were asking to buy more of the same.

The next weekend they brought in a tray of a hundred rolls and sold out in an hour. A business was born, and within the year they’d made enough for a sizable down payment on the truck. To maintain brand awareness, they parked it on the front lawn when not in use. Drivers along Route 6 would see the giant pink heart and Twisted Sisters logo, featuring caricatures of both women posed like rockabilly models, with their website address underneath in bold.

“Guessing this is it?” Ben slowed the car down and prepared to turn into the empty driveway. “Who are the Twisted Sisters?”

“Paige and Rose Tico. I went to high school with Rose.”

Ben nodded. “Yeah, I remember them. They have a business now? That’s cool.”

Who could forget the Tico sisters? “Paige said to use the side door,” Rey said, pointing. “Go ahead and drive into the carport.”

Getting through the side door required negotiating three narrow concrete steps. Rey teetered at the top, working the key into the lock, when Ben’s hand raised to brace the door jamb. She became instantly aware of his proximity. The rustling of his crisp shirt and the scent of his shaving soap commanded the attention of two senses.

She’d long ago surrendered sight, the second he’d stepped into the light of the winery’s entrance. That left touch -- more than that quick brush of his hand -- and taste, and the thought of doing either or both to Ben nearly caused her to drop the key.

“Trouble?” he asked.

“You don’t have to stand so close.”

“Sorry. Am I blocking the light?”

The security lamp was positioned overhead. He wasn’t in the way.

When no answer came, he lowered his voice. “Am I making you nervous?”

She glanced over her shoulder, irritated by his grin.

“Why would you think that?” she asked and pushed the door open.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, and it’s probably not the situation in which you expected us to reconnect,” he said.

“I will admit I’m surprised. This is probably the most you’ve talked to me ever.”

“What? No.” He followed her into the kitchen as she flipped on the nearest switch. “I was here the whole summer after college. I saw you every day.”

“Saw, but seldom spoke. You were mostly working with Luke,” Rey said. _And hanging with the grownups._ “So, what did you expect tonight? Were our gazes supposed to lock from opposite ends of the ballroom, right on the first note of ‘The Way You Look Tonight’?”

Ben tilted his head; one corner of his mouth lifted, teasing her. “That actually sounds nice. Now I feel bad for showing up late since that won’t happen,” he said.

His gaze held her mute and still, unsure of where to turn in this small kitchen. The atmosphere was suddenly cloying. How did the sisters get any work done here?

“For all I know now, you’ll probably snitch to Ahsoka and my mom that I kidnapped you.”

“More like a hijacking, but that fits.” Nothing on or in the stove. Rey charged through the doorway leading to the dining room. Two large aluminum serving trays, covered in foil, sat on the table. The contents were likely cold as ice but hopefully still edible. Let Rose and Paige worry about heating them.

Ben peeled back the foil on the one closest to him. “Looks like sliders.” He tried the other and revealed several rows of lumpia. “You think they’ll notice if there are a few missing?” he asked. “I haven’t eaten since the plane and I’m starved.”

“Go ahead.” She watched him bite a roll in half. It gave a nice crunch, and tiny bits of deep fried wrapper fell from his fingers onto his shirt. A few crumbs stuck to the corner of his mouth as well, and he licked them away. He closed his eyes for a second, moaning in appreciation.

She became very aware of him in that moment. Amazing how the mere act of eating a deep fried roll inspired lustful thoughts. Plus he was making a mess of himself. “Don’t move,” she said, and picked up a paper napkin. Willing her hand to remain steady, she tweezed three tiny golden flakes off of his shirt with her fingernails.

“We can’t have you walking into Luke’s party looking like a pigpen,” she said.

“Thanks.” He popped the rest of the roll in his mouth, and sucked his fingers clean. The fucking tease. “Those are awesome, even cold.”

“Rose and Paige will be happy to hear it. They want you to like their food.” She tidied up the trays and stacked them to carry, but Ben took them from her, citing their heavy weight.

“Hold the door, please? You have to lock it, anyway, and why is my liking their food so important?”

“Why do you think?” She tested the door after locking it to ensure its security. Turning on the top step, she saw Ben had popped the trunk and was positioning the trays side by side. “They want to keep their weekly gig at the winery.”

He shut the trunk and gave her a hard look. “That explains it, then. You’re not testy because I insisted on driving you here. You think Mom and I are swooping in to ruin everybody’s lives before my uncle’s body has cooled.”

“I never said that.”

Ben folded his arms. Rey tried to step around him to get to the passenger side but he blocked her. “I got up at four in the morning, my time, to drive my mother to San Francisco to fly out here. We spent nearly seven hours in the air, plus a thirty-minute layover, and for that entire time I held her while she cried over her dead twin brother, to whom she said goodbye over a video phone call because my asshole father was causing too much trouble over _our_ winery that she felt she couldn’t leave it.”

Rey couldn’t meet his eyes. The sudden shame she felt from her ill feelings held her in place.

“Driving up here from Richmond, all she talked about was seeing Ahsoka and you again, and how much she regretted not making the time to visit more often. She couldn’t wait to see how Uncle Luke expanded the winery, and she was looking forward to meeting Poe Dameron because Uncle Luke had nothing but high praise for him,” he said.

She opened her mouth to speak but words failed her.

“I have crossed a thousand time zones to get here, Rey. I am tired and hungry. The last thing I wanted to do tonight was put on this damn suit and make small talk with strangers, so when I saw you…”

He gestured to her dress. It probably lost some of its glamour in the harshness of the carport lighting, but it took away some of the sting in his monologue if she could trust how his expression softened. “I see a person in need, I want to help, even if they don’t see it.”

“I’m sorry.” Rey’s voice cracked. “I’m tired, too. Skywalker is my home, and Luke gave us that home, and now he’s gone…”

“Hey, no. Come here.”

She didn’t resist when Ben pulled her into a hug. Touch, real touch -- sense four -- surrendered. Rey let Ben put his arms around her, let her head rest against his hard chest, let his heart beat soothe her.

He was warm and tall and wrapped around her. This was so fucking nice.

“You’re not going to lose your home, and your friends aren’t going to lose any business because of my family,” Ben whispered. “Don’t assume my mother is planning to raze the property and put up condos. We don’t know what all’s happening until tomorrow, so until then why don’t we be friends and think positive, okay?”

“Okay.” Rey felt small in his embrace, and suddenly embarrassed. Wearing this very grownup dress, she still felt like a child in need of comforting.

It wasn’t how she wanted Ben to see her, especially when he held her like this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Spotify playlist will follow as we get deeper in. Cheers.

When Ben walked into the ballroom toting fare from the Twisted Sisters, it happened to a smattering of applause among those still queued in the food line. Rey trailed behind, watching Rose and Paige fawn and offer him profuse thanks, as though he’d been the one to volunteer for the job. She wondered if either of them remembered she still had their house key, and the wristlet remained on her person when she settled in at Ahsoka’s table between Leia and Luke’s aunt.

Leia sipped from a large-bowled wineglass. From where Rey sat, she detected the aroma of Skywalker’s latest Cabernet Franc release. “Do you like it?” she asked. Rey wasn’t familiar with the wines Leia produced at Alderaan Vineyards in the Napa Valley, but she was aware they didn’t grow this particular grape. Alderaan was known more for their Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

“It’s wonderful. Mind you, I’m drinking to drink tonight.” Leia winked. “Sometimes you have to shut off that part of your brain that wants to note every little flavor.”

“That’s perfectly fine. I only know so much about the wine side of the business. The inn is my turf.”

“You should know more about wine. I’m sure your inn guests have questions.” There it was, that scolding tone. Leia may as well have told Rey she needed to sit up straight.

“They do, but Luke…” Luke had been the answer man, and Ahsoka to some extent. The closer they became, the more her adoptive mother studied viticulture. More than once Luke had attempted to bring Rey into the winemaking side of his little empire, but she concerned herself more with building the inn’s profile and packing the reservation calendar.

She figured he’d live longer, that there was time.

“Yes.” Leia squeezed. “I’m so sorry he’s not here to teach you, but it’s not too late to learn. I was talking with Poe earlier, and I’m impressed. Of course, there’s Ben.”

At the mention of his name, Rey directed her gaze immediately to the buffet. The Tico sisters had their talons in deep. Ben stood between them, working on a plate of lumpia and nodding as they talked, yet for as good as the food was he seemed uncomfortable. His gaze drifted toward the tables and dance floor every few seconds, as though searching for an escape...or somebody.

_Is he looking for me?_

“His mind is a steel trap, Rey. Any question you have about grape growing or the wine making process, he’ll answer it,” Leia said, the pride in her voice evident. “I can’t begin to tell you how much he’s helped me in the last year.”

From there, Rey detected a change in tone, one that insinuated a big change to come. If it was related to the future of Skywalker Vineyards, that was the only question she wished to ask tonight.

Rather than scratch at that door, especially with Ahsoka nearby, she said, “You seem to be looking for him. He’s over there by the buffet.”

“Ah.” Leia gave a short laugh. “Indulging in his other interest.”

Did she mean food or women? From this angle, it appeared as though Ben had become the filling in a Tico sisters sandwich. Rey felt a flash of heat surge up the back of her neck. She hated how her body and feelings betrayed her.

The whole time she’d sat in Ben’s rental, she wanted to escape...but she’d also wanted to stay. Seeing these two man-eaters practically pawing at him, she longed to put a stop to it.

“Rose and Paige were hoping to meet you. Have you tried their special menu yet?” Rey stood without waiting to hear yes or no, and swept up Leia to introduce them.

Instantly the sisters’ attention turned to the presumed decision maker of all things food truck for the winery. Ben offered Rey a silent look of thanks as he set down his empty plate and backed away from the conversation. She placed the house key on top of the plate.

“Where are you going now?”

“Back to the family table, I guess.” Rey looked out to where guests mingled among the tables and dance floor. Well into the party, she saw no signs of it slowing or thinning. A year earlier, Luke may have held court up front, trading outrageous stories with his friends. So many had come by the table to give Leia their respects.

“We haven’t danced yet.”

She looked at Ben, raising an eyebrow. “Are we supposed to?”

“Shame to dress up just to deliver food.”

“I danced earlier with Mr. Kenobi,” she said, and nodded toward the floor. “Besides, this song’s about done.”

“So we’ll get the next one,” Ben said. He bent his head down to her. “We agreed to be friends tonight, yes? And not worry about what tomorrow will bring?”

The DJ slid right into “The Way You Look Tonight.” Ben touched her hand and that familiar chill shot straight up her arms.

“How about that? It’s a sign,” he said, and pulled her deeper into the throng of slow-dancing couples. The gesture took away any words of protest and left her in a daze. His one hand pressed firmly at the small of her back, while the other pinned her fist close to his chest. Rey gave in and let Ben lead her in a swaying circle as the overhead light system morphed different colors -- purple fading into red fading into green and so on.

“What?” she asked him halfway through the song when she noticed he’d been staring down at her.

“You have definitely changed. Should go without saying that you look incredible in that dress.”

Her breath hitched in her chest. As long as she’d known Ben, she’d recognized how he talked to her. Always with a high, gentle lilt, the standard voice for addressing a child. Here, he sounded deeper, sexy. She’d heard this version of Ben speak once before, but he didn’t know that.

She’d dreamed of that voice for years.

“Thank you. You know, you’ve changed, too.”

“Yes. I’m old and tired,” he said.

“You’re not that old.” He had eight years on her. She was closing in on twenty-four, in the fall. The age gap wasn’t so unseemly now. Sixteen years had separated Luke and Ahsoka. “I meant you shaved off the mustache.”

Ben tilted up his chin. “Yeah, I got tired of looking like a goofy hipster.”

“That’s kind of a signature look around here.” Yet as Rey looked around, she failed to find an example to show him. Everybody had cleaned up to send Luke off.

“Good to know.” They danced in silence through the remainder of the song. Ben didn’t let go for the polite applause but waited for the next note to sound.

Sinatra gave way to “You Got It” by Roy Orbison.

“One more,” Ben said. “I love this song.”

“One more.” Though Rey quietly conceded she’d be content to spend the rest of the night here provided nothing spoiled it. She closed her eyes and let her imagination enhance the moment. Everybody else in the ballroom melted away. No meddling relatives, no Tico sisters watching them like vultures. No concerns about inheritances or finances...just this man moving her in small steps around maybe one, two square feet of space. Just the occasional slip of her bare leg against his slacks. Just the feel of his crisp, white shirt against her cheek.

“Hey,” he whispered, his lips brushing her ear. She felt it down to her toes.

“Don’t you call me that name,” she warned.

“What? You mean pun--”

She pulled away from his chest and glared, the air between them cooling.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, smiling. “It doesn’t suit you.”

“Thank you.”

“What I was going to say was, uh, do you want to --”

“Ben!”

Leia calling for her son broke the spell, and nearly shot Rey’s heart into her mouth. Ben seemed to shut down automatically, releasing her from his hold and turning to regard his mother as she cut past dancing couples. “Ben, Ahsoka told me nobody had planned a speech. Isn’t that a bit odd? I feel we should say something to all the guests.”

“We didn’t feel it was necessary,” Rey explained. “Luke didn’t want a eulogy or anything to make this look like a memorial. He asked us to throw a party.” Cornhole and barbecue. Now it looked as though he was getting the senior prom _and_ a commencement.

Leia took Ben’s hand. “Well, I can’t believe all these people would show and not expect some kind of tribute. Soon as this song ends, you and I are taking the stage,” she said to her son.

Off they went, with Ben glancing back at her in embarrassed apology.

And Rey alone on the dance floor, burning to know what he intended to ask her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting two chapters tonight, as they sort of go together.
> 
> "Saving All My Love For You" by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, performed by Whitney Houston

She never found out. After Leia and Ben took turns on the small platform stage, sharing memories and stirring words that inspired applause and tears, people came up in droves to offer their condolences. For Rey the entire tone of the event had changed and depressed her, so much that she made a French exit, grabbed her day shoes from the anteroom, and walked back to the house.

All through her dreams, Ben danced with her, then undressed her, then slowly kissed every inch of her exposed skin. She woke to her alarm with an ache down below and a slight wine hangover. She took care of the first problem while still under the sheets, then showered and dressed in beige slacks and a dark turtleneck before addressing the second.

Ahsoka was still in her robe, making coffee, when Rey entered the kitchen. “You disappeared last night.”

“I had a headache. Have,” she corrected, and retrieved aspirin and orange juice.

“You should apologize to Poe when you see him. Everybody who helped set up stayed behind to clean up. Except you.”

“But I --” Damn it. It was too early in the morning to get caught up in a lie. Even though she had nothing to do with setting up the party, she was Team Skywalker and should have stuck around. “I will. I’m sorry,” she said. “I hope it didn't take longer without me.”

“It was fine. Ben helped pick up the slack.” Ahsoka sipped from her mug, and gave a small laugh. “Amazing how much he got done with the Tico girls hanging on him.”

Double damn it.

“Anyway, you could have slept in. The reading isn’t until nine. I gave you the day off.”

“Force of habit. I want to make sure Jannah and Zorii have everything under control,” Rey said. Their two housekeepers normally worked the afternoons, but both volunteered to pitch in overtime for this week. Ahsoka relented with the intent to pay them for their extra time.

Rey, of course, had an ulterior motive. She wanted to walk to the inn and see a white rental car in a guest space, a sure sign Ben had come back after stacking all those chairs.

Ahsoka shook her head. “They do their job well, Rey. We aren’t turning over any rooms for a few days, so the work isn't that heavy.”

“This is family, though. This is Luke’s sister. She needs to know that Luke left the inn in good hands.”

“The inn is fine,” Ahsoka said. “She can’t take it away.”

“No, but she could decide to separate the winery from it. Cease cross promotion. I know Luke invested some of the winery profits into the inn during leaner times.” Rey thought back to their last bad winter, which resulted in numerous cancelled reservations. “What if we go through another economic downturn without that cushion?”

“We plan better. Isn’t that why you got that damned business degree?” Ahsoka reached into the refrigerator for a container of pre-made waffle batter. “You are bound and determined to make Leia Organa out as an evil Disney queen. You need to stop. I’m thinking maybe you should stay home so you don’t blurt out something hurtful at the reading.”

Ahsoka moved about the kitchen with sharp gestures. Dishes came down on the counter harder than necessary. She sprayed the waffle iron with vigor, coating the heating plates and nearby objects. Rey instantly regretted voicing her fears, and slumped into a chair at the breakfast table.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I suppose I’m carrying over some of the irritation I felt from last night. I’m not trying to cause trouble.”

“Irritated? You looked like you enjoyed yourself.”

“True, until the Ticos started a fight at the buffet and I went to their house to get their extra trays. And Ben…”

Ahsoka turned from prying the first waffle off the iron. “What did Ben do?”

Rey rested her chin on her propped-up fist. “He drove me there and helped.” She moved when Ahsoka slid the plate toward her.

“The cad,” she said, and smiled. “Rey, eat and go check on the girls if you like. And remember, even though we’re not related to them Leia considers us family, like in-laws. Family will always have your back.”

 _Right_. Rey took the syrup from the table and filled each divot in her waffle. She wondered, did Ben consider her family, like a “cousin”?

***

Amidala House offered breakfast service to guests between seven and nine on weekday mornings, until ten on weekends. Most guests opted to rise early in order to start their respective itineraries, be it day hiking on the Appalachian Trail or hitting as many agritourist spots in Shenandoah before dinner.

Since coming to live on the property, Rey had seen rapid growth in the area. Not only had more wineries opened, but breweries, cideries and distilleries dotted the landscape. People wanted to sample as much as possible in a day. It amazed her how guests returned from self-guided tours without skidding their cars onto the front lawn, but she chalked it up to careful planning. Still, her concerns often pushed her to recommend chauffeured tours, like the one that volunteered to bring in Luke’s family and friends from Richmond.

Artoo and Bebe, owners of WineBot Tours, were coming around at eight-thirty. The tour would hit a farmer’s market before moving to the wineries. Everybody else would leave at the same time for Mr. Threepio’s office. Jannah and Zorii, of course, would stay behind to manage the inn.

Rey entered through an employee’s only door leading into the large, commercial-grade kitchen. Jannah, bent into the top tier of the double stove, swayed her hips in tune to the Whitney Houston song playing on the phone stand on the counter. She brought out a tray of popovers, singing along to the sultry ballad.

“Gonna gehhh-t that old feeeellllling, when you wallllllk through the door…”

Rey hung back, careful not to make noise. She liked Jannah; the young woman was closer to her age than any other person working here or at Skywalker Vineyards, and she always reported for work with a sunny disposition and a song on her lips. This particular tune, though, was a playlist anomaly. Jannah was more into Lizzo and Cardi B.

The song built up to its grand finish, and Jannah rode the wave. Her back still to Rey, she held a canister of whipped cream like a microphone. “Cause. To. _Night_! Is the _night_! We’ll be mayyyy-king luhhhhv the whole night -- _aahh_!”

The dam burst. Rey fell against the door, laughing as Jannah discovered her. The other woman didn’t find the moment as funny. She showed visible embarrassment as she lowered the song’s volume.

“No, keep going,” Rey said. “You have talent.”

“You have some nerve, sneaking up on me like that.” Jannah’s tone betrayed any fury, though. Gradually, she smiled along with Rey. “Just for that, you can help me plate all this.”

“Fine.” Rey got the strawberries from the refrigerator.

Zorii barged into the kitchen. “You all want to make some more noise? I think Ms. Mothma hasn’t been jolted awake yet.”

“Sorry,” came the in unison apology.

“Forget it. I heard footsteps thumping around an hour ago. Everybody’s up, just about.” Zorii collected condiments for the community dining room table and disappeared.

“Really, I am sorry,” Rey said. “That’s not your usual music. I guess it gave me pause.”

Jannah set each popover on a bread plate, splitting them open so Rey could arrange the fruit. “Yeah.” Her face took on a dreamy expression. “I danced to that song last night with Ben Solo. I had to hear it again.”

Rey was cutting the stem off a strawberry and narrowly missed her fingertip. “You danced with Ben? When?” Certainly not under her watch.

“After all those speeches. Girl, you were there.”

_No, I wasn’t._

“I was lucky to get a dance at all, the way all those women were circling him,” Jannah said. “Every time he tried to walk off the floor, there was somebody there waiting to pounce.” She sighed. “Damn, that man smells good.”

“These are done,” Rey said, her voice wooden. She set the plates on a tray and turned to find Zorii standing between them.

“Jannah, I’ll get the casserole if you don’t mind taking the popovers out,” Zorii said. “They're all starting to come down to eat.”

Jannah pinned her with a hard glare. “Is he up yet?”

“Maybe.” Zorii drew out the word. Jannah smoothed her hands down her apron, ran her tongue across her teeth, and carried the tray through the swinging door.

Zorii then regarded Rey with a softer expression. “You should be thankful I’m gay.”

“Why?”

“One less woman in the competition.”

Rey wiped down the counter. “What do you mean?”

“I sent Jannah out because you looked ready to filet her with that knife. By the way, Ben’s not up yet. He’s safe.” To her point, Zorii took the paring knife from the counter and placed it in the sink at the opposite end of the kitchen. “Also, to give us a moment alone to assure you that you shouldn’t worry about Jannah. She is no competition for Ben Solo’s affections, and neither is anybody else.”

“What makes you think I want Ben’s affection?” Rey asked. “Or that I care who he dances with?”

Zorii folded her arms. “You don’t see yourself, Rey. I was there last night, before and after you sneaked out. I saw.” She looked back at the door, then lowered her voice. “Ben slow danced with other women, but he _sloooow_ danced with you.”

Rey laughed with discomfort. “You’re crazy.”

“People were watching, Rey. He was looking at you like he wanted to lay you across the buffet and dive.” Zorii shoved her hand into a padded mitt, opened the lower oven, and brought out a bubbling casserole. The savory aroma of cheddar and sausage filled the space between them. “It’s probably why Ms. Organa went over to separate you two.”

“No.” _Really?_ She wouldn’t deny Ben looking down at her with...what? Admiration? Content? He looked happy, yes, but infatuated seemed like a stretch. Much as the idea appealed to her, she imagined Ben was simply being nice.

 _We agreed to be friends_...then her “friend” told her she looked incredible.

“Leia wanted to make a speech, is all.”

“Ms. Organa doesn’t need Ben’s mouth to make a speech,” Zorii said. “Trust me, she split you up before the fire sprinklers could activate.” If she intended to say more, she pinched her lips tight when Jannah returned.

“He’s not up yet.” She pouted. “In fact, he’s the only one MIA.”

“Cut the casserole. Let him sleep in. We all ran him ragged last night, so he’s earned it.” Zorii reached for the entree plates.

“You guys have everything under control here, so I’m just going to say good morning to everybody and leave. Text if you need me?” Rey said.

They wished Rey good luck at the reading, and she walked into a lively scene in the dining room. True to Jannah’s revelation, Ben’s was the only unoccupied seat, and Leia waved over for Rey to fill it.

“Thanks, but I have an errand to run before the meeting today. Are you riding with us?” she asked Luke’s aunt and uncle, and was surprised to learn they’d opted for the wine tour. Neither one expected to be named in the will, and preferred to spend time with the others.

“Then have a wonderful time. I’ll see you for the hospitality hour.” The inn offered a daily wine and _hor d'oeuvre_ social for guests at five, a relaxing lead-in to dinner. Selecting the vintages and paired foods was a favorite task, and she had today’s menu set and prepped. All Jannah had to do was heat up what required baking.

Rather than risk running into the housekeepers, she turned toward the front entrance, which meant passing the short hallway leading to the Mara Jade suite. Leia had said nothing about Ben during their brief visit, and for a moment she wondered if he came back here at all. He could easily have hopped into the Ticos’ car after the party and left the rental to his mother.

She quickly excised that thought from her mind. Zorii’s words came back but failed to comfort her.

Stopping in the foyer, she leaned to one side to see better. A sliver of light illuminated from under the door. That meant nothing. The suite was spacious; Ben could be in the dark in his own side room.

She looked closer. The door was ajar. Leia must not have closed it. Not smart. She could trust Jannah and Zorii, yes, but it wasn’t prudent to leave a door open with your personal belongings vulnerable.

Rey stepped into the hallway. She’d close the door for Leia, then leave. No noise, no fuss, no problem. She’d pull on the knob and accomplish her good deed.

She touched the knob and the door widened further. In the living area of the suite, Rey spotted a ballpoint pen lying on the carpet. Quite dangerous. What if Leia returned, missed it, and slipped on it? The woman might break a hip.

Easy to fix, Rey decided. She dipped quietly into the room and placed the pen on a table. No harm, no foul. The doors to both bedrooms were shut. Good. Let Ben get his rest. Surely Jannah would save him a plate.

Rey turned to leave and the breath escaped her body. She pressed her hand to her breastbone to keep her heart from exploding outward.

Ben filled the open doorway, wearing a white running singlet and wispy shorts nearly split up both sides.

He smiled at her. “Well, good morning.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note on the French: I don't speak it. I'm relying on various translation sites for Ben's French throughout the story. Any grammatical errors in the language are my own. Each chapter with French will include translations in the end notes.

No sleeves. Tight muscles. Smooth chest and dark nipples showing through thin fabric. Bulge between his thighs. And his legs...holy fuck, those legs.

How was he able to slip into the inn without anybody else seeing? Because, surely, had Jannah spotted Ben in this state of dress the windows would have shattered.

“Your mother left the room unlocked. I-I thought you were sleeping,” she said.

“Were you my wakeup call?” He shook his head. “We have got to get our schedules straight. Tell you what, I’ll go back to bed and you wait five minutes and come in.” He gestured to the room on the right.

“What?” She spun to look at the door. On the other side was a queen-sized bed with a memory foam mattress and a thick, downy comforter. She’d changed it hundreds of times, maybe more, in the years she worked here. The antique brass headboard featured shining grill castings, the kind a woman could reach back and grasp for dear life while her lover pounded into her.

How many couples had booked the Mara Jade suite for honeymoon celebrations? How many people had made love in that bed, where Ben Solo had jokingly suggested she go to “wake him up”?

Why tempt that energy? On the other hand, why resist it?

He’d stayed here off and on during that summer after he graduated college. Had he ever…?

Time to steer the conversation. “You...went for a run this morning?”

“No,” he deadpanned, looking down at his running gear. After a beat he grinned. “I thought I’d get a few miles in before breakfast. Got as far as Mos Eisley and turned around.”

“I think that’s the first winery stop on the tour today.”

Ben closed the door and moved deeper into the room. “What’s for breakfast?” When Rey told him he groaned. “That’ll sit on my chest all day. You eat yet? I’ll drive us up to Yoder’s for biscuits.”

“Ahsoka made me a Belgian waffle.”

Ben looked up from his fitness tracker. “Could she make me one? I don’t want to go out there. I had enough of everybody last night.”

“I don’t know. She mentioned errands she wanted to finish before we all leave.” As she spoke, and as Ben regarded her with a pleading expression, she accepted her words held no weight. She was making excuses for a woman now relaxing on the front porch of Luke’s old home.

“I’ll text her,” she said.

“Wait here for me, okay? Let me shower real quick.” He dashed into his room, leaving the door ajar. The distant whoosh of the _en suite_ shower filled the silence.

“Sure,” she said to the empty living area, and paced. Mother and son kept no belongings in the common area; save for the errant pen, the room appeared as it should at check-in. Rey studied the framed black and white photographs on the walls, each depicting a section of the vineyard acreage Luke had owned.

The Chardonnay vines were closest to the winery entrance, and were among the oldest in the vineyards. Descended from vines brought from California, it was the first wine Luke produced when he opened Skywalker.

The blue-black Cabernet Franc grapes grew around the inn. The sight of their many neat rows greeted her every morning before work.

The blanc Viognier grapes, which made the signature wine of the Commonwealth of Virginia, grew on a long hill behind the tasting room. Of all the wines Skywalker produced, she loved Viognier the best. Skywalker’s vintages gave floral scents on the nose and the taste of honeysuckle. Its taste paired with practically anything.

She never asked who took the photos. The suite’s namesake selected them for the room. Rey knew very little about Luke’s late wife, and avoided mentioning her for fear of upsetting Luke. There had been times, though, she suspected Luke wanted to talk about her. When he and Ahsoka grew closer, pictures of Mara remained in the house.

She was a part of this place. Rey wondered if, somewhere in the cosmos, her spirit had found Luke’s. Would he have forgotten them already?

Back on Earth, Rey inhaled and the scent of bay rum soap stirred her.

Like her, Ben was dressed business casual for the day. Black slacks and white polo. He’d blow-dryed his hair, too. Had she been standing out here staring at photos for so long?

“I’m surprised your mother didn’t walk in,” she said.

Ben shrugged into a hoodie. “You know old folks. They get to reminiscing, they’ll be in that dining room all day.”

“I recall you saying you were old and tired, too,” Rey said.

He put a finger to his lips and beckoned her to follow. Quiet as mice, they padded up the hallway and paused, peering out for signs of life. Laughter and talk floated out of the dining room but neither Jannah nor Zorii came out to acknowledge it. Ben mouthed “Now” to her and they slipped out the front door.

“I saw the chickens on my way out this morning. Definitely not the same ones from my last visit,” he said as they quick-stepped to the house. “What did you name this batch?”

They were currently down to four egg layers and one rooster. Ahsoka had yet to replace the two they’d recently lost. Rey told him she’d named the four after the _Sex And The City_ cast. “And the rooster is Mr. Big,” she added.

He glanced back toward the inn. “No more Wyandottes?”

“The Rhode Island Reds were easier to get, and you can eat those as well. We had two others that stopped laying, so we donated them to a church that runs a soup kitchen.” They were almost to the screened-in back porch. “Did you ever set up your chicken house back home?”

“We did. Our groundskeeper fought it initially, but now the little buggers are his best friends.” Ben laughed. “He won’t even let me near the pen.”

Ahsoka was dressed now, and plating Ben’s waffle when they entered. Ben thanked her with a kiss on the cheek before sitting. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. It’s not the worst day of this month, but it’s a necessary one.” Ahsoka poured him a glass of orange juice. “I’m more curious than nervous.”

Ben reached for the syrup. “I told Rey last night, everything is going to be fine. It will be.”

“So you know what’s in the will?” Rey asked.

He shrugged, chewing.

“So that’s a yes?”

Ashoka patted her shoulders. “Don’t give him indigestion, dear. I have to get something from Luke’s office before we go.”

When they were alone, Ben said, “You took off without saying goodnight.”

“Yeah, I was beat. I feel bad because I heard you stayed and cleaned up when you should have gotten some rest.”

He shrugged again. “I was keyed up anyway. It was no big deal. I have to say, though,” he took another bite, “your friends are quite animated.”

Interesting choice of words. Was that code for horny? “You mean Rose and Paige? They are characters, I guess. You have to be, to run a food truck.”

“Them, and that girl from the inn. The one who’s single, and reminded me of it the whole time we danced.”

“Jannah. Zorii has a girlfriend, I think.” Rey watched him tuck into the waffle like it was the most delicious thing ever. “It probably didn’t occur to her,” _or me_ , “that you might have somebody back in California.”

“Not anymore.” Ben glanced at her. “What about you?”

“I don’t have anybody in California, either.”

He coughed up a bit of waffle and reached for a napkin to help recover. “I mean what about here, you dummy.”

“Sorry.” She tried not to laugh. “But seriously, I am not involved with anybody.”

“Huh.” He nodded and gave her a coy smile. “Well, thank you for dancing with me, though you were reluctant.”

He thought that? After she’d awakened with the sensation of his touch lingering on her skin? He wasn’t aware of that, though. “I enjoyed it,” she said with sincerity. “I also recall you were going to ask me some--”

Ahsoka returned then, fishing in her purse for her keys. “Leia just texted me. She’s looking for you, Ben.”

Rey fought back a groan. The woman had radar.

Ben downed the last bite with his juice. “My mother is chronically early for everything. She probably wants to leave now so we can sit in the lawyer’s office and stare at the walls,” he said, and took his plate to the sink. “Thank you for breakfast. I will see you two there.”

Ahsoka nodded and left the kitchen. Before Ben did as well, he came back to where Rey sat and leaned down to speak directly in her ear.

“I’ll tell you later, okay? _Ne t'en fais pas, ma chérie. Tout ira bien_.” He was out the door before she could react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Ne t'en fais pas, ma chérie. Tout ira bien - "Don't worry, darling. Everything will be alright."


	9. Chapter 9

Rey crossed her legs to tamp down her arousal. Ben speaking French directly to her was pure aural sex. She remembered when he spent two years supplementing his viticulture degree in the Burgundy region, and in turn perfected the language. She was sitting at this very table the day she learned the news.

***

“We’re having algebra for dinner, again?”

Rey looked up from the notes for her upcoming final, spread all over the kitchen table, as Luke walked straight to the sink to wash his hands. In the two months since formally moving from the innkeeper’s cottage to the big house, she’d adjusted to Luke’s routine. Though why he chose to wash up here after work instead of doing so at the winery baffled her. The bathrooms there were just as nice.

She smiled at him. Luke fixed a glass of water and sat across from her. “Is Ahsoka not home yet?”

“The Petersons are probably keeping her. All they do is ask questions.” She didn’t like when chatty guests held her adoptive mother hostage. Ahsoka had been working around the clock lately, while they were in between housekeepers. Rey wanted to help out, but Luke forbade it until she turned sixteen. He refused to risk breaking any child labor regulations.

Her job for now was to pass the ninth grade.

“So dinner isn’t started yet?”

“I’m not cooking.” At least Luke didn’t sound mad.

He leaned forward, trying to read her equations upside down. “I was thinking maybe we go out tonight? It’s taco night at The Cantina.”

“On a school night?” This came from Ahsoka, who now stood by the same back entrance. She was holding a casserole dish covered in foil. “Who are you and what you have done to Luke?”

He waved Ahsoka closer, leaning back in his chair as they kissed. “The school year’s almost done, and I’m in a good mood for once. I received a present today all the way from California.”

“Nice. Did Leia send something?”

“She most certainly did,” said Leia, coming in from the front entry. The ensuing cry of surprise from Ahsoka caused Rey to bear down on her worksheet and break the pencil lead.

“That’s not all. Look who I brought.” Leia waved Ben into the kitchen, and Rey straightened up in her chair. He was still tall, perhaps a few inches more since she last saw him six years ago. Older looking with his thin, dark mustache. Better looking...like he’d grown into his face and body.

His body. It had filled out with lean muscle, probably from days of work at his parents’ winery. The rolled-up sleeves of his Oxford showed strong, tanned arms. His jeans looked molded to this lower half. It was like the scrawny teenager at the hen house shed his skin and matured.

She couldn’t stop staring.

The adults talked over her, Leia speaking mainly for Ben, who leaned against the door jamb. Ben had finished his degree at UC Davis and was heading to Dijon in France for his MSc. He had a few months to kill before courses began, and Luke invited him to stay for the summer and prep at Skywalker.

“And you’re okay with this, Leia?” Ahsoka asked. “Not that I won’t want Ben here, but you’ll miss him at your winery.”

“I will, terribly, but he’s not a boy anymore. Plus Luke operates differently, so it will be nice to have different perspectives. Speaking of education,” Leia came over to Rey, “have you decided where you’re getting _your_ viticulture degree?”

“I’m going to UVA to study business. I’m going to take over the inn.” The algebra, she figured, might come in handy while counting their soon to come profits.

Leia shot her brother an amused glance. “I can’t wait to see what you do with it, then. Did Luke tell you I want to buy you all dinner tonight? I’m only staying a few days, just dropping Ben off, so I have to pay you back for your hospitality.”

It struck Rey as funny to celebrate Ben’s pending trip to France with taco night at The Cantina, but she loved the restaurant and would gladly eat with the devil if he paid. She straightened up her work and trailed behind the adults as they left, with Ben waiting for her to pass.

“Congratulations on going to France,” she said.

“ _Merci beaucoup, ma citrouille_.”

Rey fought back a chill. French was a sexy language, yes, but his voice amplified it.

“What all does that mean? I know _merci_ is ‘thank you.’”

He leaned in a bit with a grin. “ _Citrouille_ ,” he repeated. “Punkin.”

***

Rey shook off the memory. At least the nickname had sounded less juvenile in French.

At go time, Rey walked out with Ahsoka but slowed when the other woman turned toward the spur road leading to the winery rather than to their truck. Ahsoka looked back at her. “Poe’s driving us.”

“Why? Who’s left to run the winery?”

“The same people who have been doing it for years. The tasting room manager and Poe’s assistants. It’ll be fine for a few hours.”

The revelation hardly upset Rey. Quite the contrary, it thrilled her. Poe’s presence at the reading meant he’d been named in the will. Granted, Luke may have only left him money, but it had to be a significant amount to warrant his taking time off work.

She sat behind Poe in his SUV, badgering him all the way to Mr. Threepio’s Crozet office. “Knock it off, Rey,” he said finally. “I don’t know everything Luke’s done. For all I know I have to spend the night in a haunted mansion to get my inheritance of five hundred bucks.”

“I get the feeling you’re lying.”

“What gave it away, the haunted house?” Poe cracked.

Ben and Leia, true to his earlier grumblings, had long ago beaten them to the small office building. The office manager guided them to a conference room with a long table, atop which rested two small rectangular urns.

Luke’s ashes. This much Rey knew. Leia was to take one urn and bury it at the Skywalker family plot in California. The other would be installed next to Mara’s in their niche in the Waynesboro cemetery. She bit her lip to keep from remarking on them. The idea of splitting Luke’s ashes hadn’t upset her, only the manner of it. Half to Leia, half to Mara...what about Ahsoka? Didn’t she deserve to rest with the love of her life?

She couldn’t very well squeeze her into the Skywalker niche here.

Mr. Threepio joined them at the appointed time with brief pleasantries and much to discuss. He was a thin man with short, golden hair and a light accent to his voice that gave one the impression he came from somewhere else. Not so, for Mr. Threepio was pure Virginia, and unlike other natives to the Commonwealth never held Luke’s California birth against him. This, despite the fact Luke had lived in Virginia longer than in his native state.

“Let’s begin with Mr. Skywalker’s charitable bequests,” he said, and proceeded to list the local organizations receiving money from Luke’s portfolio. The church soup kitchen that accepted their chickens, a shelter in Waynesboro, and an area high school with a viticulture training program were to receive money.

Rey glanced at Poe and smiled on the mention of the third beneficiary. Luke had heard about the program from him, and had liked the idea of hiring high school interns for the summer. Were Poe to inherit, he could follow through on Luke’s wish.

Following that came a series of monetary bequests to friends and family. Owen and Beru had been passed over, but Luke remembered their grandchildren. Every employee at Skywalker Vineyards, including Jannah and Zorii, would receive a sum of equal amount, “done in the spirit of thanks for a job well done,” the lawyer quoted from Luke’s writing.

Rey was surprised to hear her name when Mr. Threepio informed her that Luke set aside a small vacation fund for her. “And I quote,” he added, “‘Rey is to use this money to take that trip to Disney World she’s been talking about for the last five years.’”

Yes, the trip she longed to take but had yet to, because of the inn. Tears glassed her vision and she wiped them. “I’ll make the reservations, Luke.”

“When?” Ahsoka needled her.

“Soon.” She looked up and caught Ben smiling at her.

Mr. Threepio continued, undaunted. “Mr. Skywalker’s remaining financial assets,” here he named a substantial sum in his various accounts, plus his investment portfolio, “is to be divided accordingly: fifty percent to Ahsoka Tano, twenty-five percent to Ben Solo, and twenty-five percent to Poe Dameron.”

Ahsoka squeezed her hand. What Ahsoka inherited would eventually go to her, so Rey was fine with this arrangement.

“Next, we have bequests of physical property, namely the winery and vineyards. Mr. Skywalker left very strict instructions on this disbursement, so I ask you all to please refrain from questions until I have finished. Agreed?” He set a sheet of paper on top of the will. “Before I proceed, I was asked to relay this short note from Mr. Skywalker himself, which reads, ‘I know this is the moment many of you have waited for…’”

Rey sat on her hands to keep from fidgeting.

“‘As I write this I can imagine how some of you may react. Please know that my decision in bequeathing Skywalker Vineyards in the way I have is based on my desire for the winery’s success. I did not let personal bias influence me. The success of the winery will bring success to related ventures, and it is my hope all of you will respect my wishes.’”

Related ventures...the inn? What had Luke decided?

Mr. Threepio returned to the will. “The vineyards are defined here as the actual acreage on which Mr. Skywalker’s vines reside, in addition to the vines. I have maps outlining the parcels here for your reference,” he clarified. “Mr. Skywalker owned a total of fifty acres of vines. His most recent purchase of ten acres off the winery property in Afton, Virginia is left to Mr. Poe Dameron, as the land was purchased on Mr. Dameron’s recommendation. Mr. Skywalker notes in his will that as Mr. Dameron and his partner oversaw the cultivation of said acreage, it should belong to him.”

Ben, sitting next to Poe, clapped him on the back in congratulations. The news clearly shocked Poe. He exhaled and merely said, “Wow.”

“Moving on,” said Mr. Threepio, “the original ten acres on which Mr. Skywalker built his business, he notes should be considered legacy -- in other words, to pass on to family. As Mr. Skywalker left no issue, this acreage passes on to his nearest relative, his sister Leia Organa, with the stipulation that it remain legacy property.”

“No arguments there,” she said, sniffling. “I’ll never sell it and I’ll will it to Ben as soon as I talk to my lawyer.”

“The remaining thirty acres is to be bequeathed with the winery. To that effect, Mr. Skywalker designated three different parties as owners.”

Rey checked Ahsoka for a reaction. The older woman glanced back, shaking her head.

“Mr. Skywalker’s nephew, Ben Solo, and Mr. Poe Dameron are each to inherit forty-five percent interest in Skywalker Vineyards winery,” Mr. Threepio announced to a low murmur. Leia hugged her son, who sat looking numb. Rey thought the reaction curious; the more she thought about it, it made sense to bequeath directly to Ben rather than his mother. Ben was younger, and perhaps Luke believed his nephew wanted to run his own place.

With Poe, though, she couldn’t say. Nonetheless, Rey felt ready to burst with happiness for her friend. He had vines and some of Luke’s liquid assets in addition to part of Skywalker. Seed money to start his own business, if he chose to sell his share.

“Please,” Mr. Threepio called for quiet. “The remaining ten percent of the winery interest is to go to Ms. Rey Jakkson.”

Rey snapped up at that. “What? He’s given me a piece of the winery?” That had come out of left field. The inn she expected, one day, but why the winery? “Why ten percent of it?”

“He’s made you the tiebreaker, Rey,” Ben told her. “In the event Poe and I come to disagree on how the business is run, you get to side with either of us. Democracy in action.” He turned to his new business partner. “Hopefully that won’t happen often.”

“Excuse me? You hope I won’t get involved often?”

Ben shot her a placating look. “That’s not what I said.”

“He doesn’t want to start fights, Rey,” Poe cut in, “like you’re trying to do right now.”

Rey tried to stand but Ahsoka brought her hand down on Rey’s thigh with a look that said _Chill_.

“Mr. Solo is correct. If you will allow me to continue,” Mr. Threepio said with steely politeness. “Mr. Skywalker agreed upon this division with the stipulation that neither beneficiary can offer to sell or buy out any or all of the other partners for one year. That is, until the day after this exact date next year.”

“What about the house?” Rey asked.

“Pardon?”

“Luke’s house. It’s not part of the winery or the inn,” Rey said.

“Oh, my. I must have skipped over that.” Mr. Threepio flipped through the binder with Luke’s will and discovered two pages stuck together. “Mr. Skywalker’s residence, yes. With regards to this property, it is designated that Mr. Skywalker’s partner, Ms. Ahsoka Tano, inherits all assets within the house, as defined by this list.” He lifted that sheet of paper. “Plus, his pickup truck. There is a second car listed, a BMW, which Mr. Skywalker denoted as a company car, so that conveys with the winery property.”

Poe leaned toward Ben. “I use my car. Luke reimbursed me mileage for winery business, so if you want the Beemer, it’s yours. I’ll get you the keys.”

Rey relaxed a bit. Luke wouldn’t leave her all his stuff without a house in which to keep it.

“The actual house and parcel of land on which it sits, Mr. Skywalker has designated as a legacy. He has bequeathed it to his nephew,” the lawyer looked up, “Ben Solo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Merci beaucoup, ma citrouille - "Thank you very much, my 'pumpkin'."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters follow tonight (1/24) because they tie together. Thank you for your kind words.

Rey’s blood ran cold.

Luke had given away the house where she and Ahsoka lived. The house Ahsoka should have inherited. Yet, he left her everything in it. What on earth was going through the man’s mind when he drafted these bequests?

“I don’t fucking believe this,” Rey murmured.

Ahsoka pinched her arm, hard. “Will you watch your language?”

“Why did he leave you his belongings when he’s given the house to somebody else? Where are we going to live?”

“Rey,” Ben spoke up, “you remember what I told you?” He turned to Mr. Threepio. “I’m sure there’s a stipulation attached to this as well?”

“There is.” Mr. Threepio turned a page. “Mr. Skywalker left this note with regards to the house: ‘It is my wish that my nephew, Ben Solo, will allow Ahsoka Tano and Rey Jakkson to remain in residence for as long as they desire, without the burden of rent.’”

Ben nodded. “Wish granted.” He looked at Rey as is to say, _see how easy that was?_

The lawyer looked up, as cool as Rey was heated with frustration. “I have here paperwork that confirms the mortgage on this property has been paid in full.”

“Then the only thing to worry about are the monthly bills,” Ben said, looking more at Ahsoka than her. “That’s a discussion for later, of course.”

“How about we discuss where _you’re_ going to live?” Rey asked. “Luke gives you the house but wants us to stay there. It doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s a big enough house, and Ben did live there one summer,” Leia pointed out. “I don’t see why --”

“You’re assuming I intend to stay in Virginia,” Ben said.

“Well…” That threw her. He now owned close to half of a winery, and surely had some idea of Luke’s plans even without seeing the actual will. It seemed too large of a percentage to govern from three thousand miles away.

Ahsoka laid a hand on her arm, and crooked her head to indicate Mr. Threepio had more to say. Rey took a deep breath and allowed the attorney to complete the reading, after which he opened the floor to questions. One burned bright in Rey’s mind.

“Is there any chance someone could contest this will and succeed?”

Mr. Threepio folded his hands on the table and focused on her. “You wish to contest any of Mr. Skywalker’s bequests, Ms. Jakkson?”

“Not really. I...didn’t expect to get as much as I did.” She hadn’t worked out in her head the value of one-tenth of the winery, but given Luke’s wealth it had to be substantial. Being low maintenance, she figured she was set for life, but for one detail.

“It’s just that Luke put arbitrary timelines on some of these stipulations, but what if specific life changes compromise that? People get sick, have accidents,” she swallowed, “get married.” Ben had said he was single, but that could change. What if he married somebody who didn’t want to live in the same house with two other women, and nagged him to evict them?

Ben marrying somebody, anybody...the very idea gave her nausea.

“You trying to tell us something, Rey?” Ben asked with a teasing smile. Rey bristled. Everything was a fucking joke to him. No doubt he could expect to inherit Alderaan Vineyards one day and have a nice corner on the domestic market. He could never relate to her current anxieties.

Her mind turned to mud thinking of a retort, but a nudge to her side had her out of her chair. Ahsoka was lifting her up and toward the door. “If you all will excuse us, I believe Rey needs some air. Today’s news has overwhelmed her, I’m sure.”

“I’m fine,” Rey seethed, low in Ahsoka’s ear. The other woman said nothing and pushed her out. In the lobby, she raked her head through her long blond and blue strands and sighed.

“You know, I get this isn’t the happiest of days, but was it necessary to poke the bear? Rey, every word out of your mouth is an accusation. Did you see the look on Leia’s face?” Ahsoka cried. “The woman is hurting. It’s enough her brother has died, but you keep twisting these knives --”

“He gave Ben the house.” Rey tamped down her anger. Mr. Threepio’s office manager watched them with interest. “What is the reasoning behind that?”

“Getting mad at Ben and Leia doesn’t help matters. As for why, that’s a question for Luke. Which, by the way,” Ahsoka opened her purse and pulled out one of the envelopes addressed to Rey, “is probably answered here.”

She took the letter and undid the flap but instead folded the envelope into her pants pocket when she saw Ben exit the conference room. “Ahsoka, you’re needed to sign some documents,” he said. “You as well, Rey.”

He stilled Rey with a hand to her shoulder when she tried to pass. “I’d like a word with you first.” What softness held in his tone from this morning was gone.

“Uh…” She looked past him to Ahsoka, who glanced over her shoulder with a stern expression. No help coming there. _You sort it out_ , her expression read.

“Not here.” Ben spotted the nosy office manager, tucked his hand around Rey’s arm, and escorted her outside. Mr. Threepio’s Crozet office was situated in a short strip of brick buildings along the main square, sandwiched between a coffee shop and an art gallery. In cold silence, he walked her down the sidewalk to where it ended and turned the corner, and leaned against the brick wall facing an empty lot.

“Why do you not trust me?” he asked her. “Twice I have told you not to worry, and you’re in a lawyer’s office hinting that I may not honor the terms of my Uncle Luke’s last freakin’ will and testament.”

“I don’t know,” Rey said. She told the truth. Regardless of their amicable relationship and her rollercoaster feelings for Ben, she offered no definitive answer.

“Do you honestly believe I am going to evict you and Ahsoka from your home?” His voice pitched higher.

“It’s your home now, Ben.”

“It’s my _house_. It’s your _home_ ,” he said. “Even without the stipulations, you should realize that you both can stay there until the world ends. I know what that place means to you, and while I have some idea of why he left it to me, it doesn’t mean --”

“I know why,” Rey cut in. “He wants you to move here and be a co-owner in residence. The house solves a problem for you right off the bat.”

“Is that an issue? Would you have a problem with me living there, with you and your mother? It will be different this time because Luke isn’t there. If I decide to stay, I have other options. I can buy another house, I can clear out the cottage.”

“Ahsoka owns the cottage.”

Ben smiled. “I’ll pay her rent if that’s what she wants.”

Rey moved to stand beside Ben against the wall. She found it easier to talk to him this way, as it let her focus on the scenery rather than his face. Every time she looked at him, her insides twisted and her mind flashed back to the party and the sensual calm of their dance. She felt so far removed from that moment.

“It wouldn’t bother me if you moved in,” she said. _Bother, heh_. She and Ben living under the same roof, sharing meals and lounging in pajamas on weekend mornings. Nights on the couch watching television. It sounded like heaven now compared to this tense conversation. 

She knew why she was fighting it.

“It bothers me that Luke and Ahsoka were practically husband and wife, and the way he divided his assets is so...strange. She took care of the inn and that house. I just feel she should have both, at least for her own sense of security.”

Ben rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Rey, he provided very well for her, and I didn’t get the impression that Ahsoka is upset or insecure. You should be happy for her and for yourself. Ahsoka has the inn. You inherited part of a thriving winery and a free trip to Disney.”

“I’d trade it all in a heartbeat to have Luke back.”

“Same,” Ben said, looking down. “Rey, I honestly had no idea what to expect coming here. He and I talked about the future of the winery, and I let him know what I wanted out of my career. I’d known through Uncle Luke how close he was to Poe, and my first impression was he’d get the business and maybe I'd get a couple bucks and his baseball cards. I didn’t come here to score.”

“Come on. You must have expected more than that.”

He shrugged. “At best, a smaller percentage of ownership. I know wine, but Poe knows wine _and_ Skywalker Vineyards.”

“But what if --”

“Stop.” He held up his hands. “No predictions, no worst case scenarios. I haven’t been Luke’s co-heir for half an hour yet. There’s a lot to process.”

“Ben,” she moved back to the wall. He folded his arms and pressed his shoulder against the brick, and stretched out his legs. Like James Dean in business casual. The stance and his undivided attention gave her heart a flutter. “Earlier I said ‘I don’t know.’ I’m thinking the real answer is because I don’t really know _you_.”

He laughed. “Are you kidding? I’ve known you most of your life.”

“Peripherally, yes. You’ve spent two summers here in the last fifteen years. In between those visits we haven’t talked by phone, text, whatever. We aren’t even social media friends.”

“Because I stay off social media, except for winery business,” Ben said. “And you’re wrong. I spoke to Uncle Luke regularly, and he always kept me up to date on you and Ahsoka. I’m sure he did the same with you, talking about me.”

Luke did that? Still… “Exactly. I know of you, Ben. Whatever Luke had to say about me, I can assure you it wasn’t everything.”

He straightened. The light in his eyes suggested interest in accepting her veiled challenge. Nobody had yet turned the corner to collect them, so she figured there was time for a bit of trivia.

“What sport did I play in high school?” she asked.

“Lacrosse.”

He got it right. What the hell?

Ben rolled his eyes. “Rey, every Virginia high schooler plays lacrosse. Besides, Ahsoka sent my mother pictures.”

Okay, something harder. “What’s my favorite television show?”

“ _Sex And the City_.”

“Wrong! Just because I named the chickens after them doesn’t mean it’s my favorite show.”

“Had to have been at one point, right?” Ben asked. “Poe, what’s Rey’s favorite TV show?”

Rey’s heart jumped at seeing Poe lurking by the corner of the building. How much of their conversation had he heard? Hopefully not much, judging by his confused expression.

“I have no idea.”

Ben turned back to her. “And you’re going to trust him with forty-percent of the winery. Does he at least know which chicken is Samantha?”

“The slutty one, I imagine. Look, I don’t know what inspired this line of thought,” Poe broke in, “but the two of you are needed to sign some papers, and then we can all go back to work.”

“Poe, I was thinking maybe after this we have a business lunch, just the three new owners of Skywalker,” Ben said as the trio began walking back. “Rey made an excellent point earlier, that we should all get to know each other a little better. Plus I’m starved.”

Poe gave a quick shrug and a smile. “Sure. I can spare the time.” He pointed across the street. “Right there is the best pizza in the county. I’ll put it on my company card.”

“Sounds good to me. Rey?”

“Why not?” She followed the men back into the law office. She was an owner of Skywalker Vineyards. Not a majority one, but important enough to be included.

She waited for Ben to walk ahead into the conference room, and tapped on Poe’s shoulder. They hugged. “Congratulations, Poe. You’re almost there.”

“Thanks, hon. Just wish Luke didn’t have to die for it to happen.”

“You’ll do him proud, I know it,” she said. “And so you know, any time you and Ben need that tiebreaker I will side with you no matter what.”

Poe’s expression darkened, and his body went tight as he pulled away. “Rey, for the good of the winery, I hope you don’t mean that. You may not be completely happy Luke’s family is involved, but don’t sell them short.”

He walked into the conference room, leaving Rey speechless just outside the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Rey held the booth while Ben and Poe ordered at the counter, and opened Luke’s letter to her.

_My dear Rey,_

_I can explain everything._

“I’ll bet,” she muttered as the cloud above her head blackened.

_In order to do that, however, I must let you in on a bit of Skywalker history. You know that my family roots are in wine making, quite literally. If not for my grandmother Shmi, I probably would have spent my years in a bland office. She was a young girl during Prohibition, preparing for First Communion, when her parents contemplated growing for other purposes than wine so they wouldn’t lose their shirts. She encouraged her father to appeal to every Catholic diocese on the West Coast to contract exclusively with them for sacramental wine._

_They agreed. Once Prohibition lifted, the business had established a strong foothold and was able to recover better than others._

_It sounds funny to hear of a girl under legal drinking age having an ardent interest in the wine business. Sometimes I wonder if you are the reincarnation of Shmi. I can still see eight-year-old Rey following Ahsoka into the inn, wanting so badly to work._

_Shmi passed on her love of growing vines to her son, my father. Anakin Skywalker was an amazing winemaker; as a parent, well, he was no Mike Brady (Google it). It didn’t help that my mother died young. Had she lived, I imagine his relationship with us might have continued more amicably than it did, especially with Leia. The strain between a father tasked with a large vineyard and a rebellious daughter caused an estrangement that resulted in her seeking refuge with a foster family whose name she eventually assumed._

_They did reconcile, though by that time she had married and taken her husband’s name. I haven’t asked why she didn’t go back to using Skywalker after the divorce. Maybe she figured reverting to Organa was less confusing for the IRS._

_I’m getting off track._

_So, Alderaan Vineyards is a 600-pound gorilla in the wine industry. It was borne of a modest parcel of land that survived prohibitions and depressions and hippies. You know my sister as the CEO and spokesperson, the woman in all the commercials inviting Joe and Jane Bluecollar to bring home a bottle for Sunday dinner._

_What you don’t know, Rey, is that Leia intends to sell her share._

Rey straightened in the church pew bench where she sat, peering out of the high-backed booth to where Ben and Poe stood. Poe chatted up a waitress he presumably knew, but the girl’s eyes were fixed on Ben.

Was he aware of the sale? He had to be, but why wouldn’t he expect to inherit Luke’s winery?

She continued reading:

_You already know she is not the sole owner. Her ex-husband got half in the divorce. I don’t know the details, but I can tell you at first she was okay with it. Han, while not a model husband, was/is dedicated to Alderaan’s success, and Leia figured everything would ultimately go to Ben after they died. It isn’t necessarily the case anymore. Han’s remarriage and second family have complicated matters. The new socialite wife is pushing Han to bring their bratlings into the business. I hear the woman is pitching their life to reality television; Leia feels it cheapens the brand._

_I admit, even though I sold my interest in Alderaan to start up my own winery, it pains me to see the work of four generations mudslide like this. I can take comfort in the fact that one provision of the sale will call for Han to rebrand with a new name. Hopefully he will agree to it._

_Since Leia’s divorce, I’ve had many long talks with Ben about his future, and he confided in me that he would rather walk away from Alderaan and start fresh than deal with the second Mrs. Solo. Leia selling her half would help fund that venture. I have a perfectly good winery here, so I thought why not give Ben a good head start and let Leia keep her retirement? It would do him good to leave California, put some distance between him and the familial strain._

_I know you would have preferred I give everything to Poe. He’s a good man. I’ll let Poe tell you his own story, though. Just know the reason I have split ownership the way I have is so everybody involved can learn from each other. Ben and Poe are both skilled winemakers. Ben is also an enologist and brings an expertise to Skywalker that could benefit Poe. Poe, as a master viticulturist, can teach Ben about growing in Virginia -- it’s not exactly the same here as in California. I gave them a minimum of one year together to determine their futures. One can sell to the other, or not. Either way, I believe they will get along._

_So why did I give you ten percent of Skywalker and the unenvious position of tiebreaker in the event they come to an impasse on procedures? The inn can’t be your whole life, Rey. It would benefit you greatly to learn the winery side. I’m not asking you to become a winemaker, but you can bring value to the business. You market the inn very well, and while Skywalker wine sells itself I expect you can improve upon our marketing. Lord knows it wasn’t in my skill set._

_But you’re thinking of the house right now. Stop worrying. You will continue living there as you have; that is, until you choose your own place. It’s inevitable, Rey. As for whether or not Ben will take the third room, that’s up to him. Bequeathing him the house was not meant as a slight on Ahsoka or you, but merely an incentive for Ben to commit to Skywalker on the property and not in absentia._

_You can trust him, Rey. Don’t be afraid to ask him for anything._

_I have other reasons for my decisions, to be revealed at the proper time. For now, please understand every move made is for the good of everybody involved. Try not to raise hell and threaten to contest, please? Mr. Threepio is a very sensitive man._

_All my love, Luke_

“One Coke, no ice.”

Ben set the glass bottle on the wooden table before her. White mist from the freshly uncapped lip curled as it rose and faded. He slid into the bench opposite her and set down a paper wine and beer list.

“Thank you,” she said, and took a short pull, fighting back the carbonation. “What are you thinking of getting?” She indicated the list.

“I got two flights. Did you bring a pen by chance?”

Rey fished one from her purse and watched Ben mark off the vintages he’d selected. “No Skywalkers?”

He peered up at her, smiling. “We never have to pay for Skywalker wine again. Anyway, it doesn’t look like they carry much of it.”

Rey read the list upside-down. They offered the Viognier and a table red blend by the glass. Standard stuff for these parts. “Yeah, as I always understood it, the distribution rep tends to hit up the larger cities in the Commonwealth. Crozet is a blink and miss it kind of place.”

“Is it really? Traffic seems heavy for a small town. It certainly looks like it’s grown since I was here last.”

“It has.” Poe joined them with his beer and sat next to Rey. He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Two microbreweries opened in the last month, plus Bespin Vineyards broke ground on a bigger tasting room due to open next year. People are coming.”

“And they have to eat. When they want wine with their pizza we should have more on this list.” Ben tapped the column of whites. “Bespin. They have four options in the whites alone.”

“It doesn’t have to travel far. They’re down the street.”

Ben glared as Rey talked. He rejoined with, “We should list our priorities as far as transitioning the winery responsibilities is concerned.” He flipped the paper over and saw writing on the other side. “Anybody think to bring a notepad?”

“Why not use your phone?” Rey asked.

“I’m better when I write stuff down.”

A server came by with a pizza stand, atop which sat cutlery and napkins. Ben grabbed one.

“Seriously?” Rey asked.

“Hey, they’re not just for writing cute chicks’ phone numbers on anymore,” Poe said. “Speaking of which…”

The waitress, whom Rey knew as Bazine, sashayed over with Ben’s first flight. “Here you go, hon.” The woman in the scoop-necked t-shirt bent over more than necessary while sliding the wooden slab holding four tasting glasses in front of Ben. Rey wanted to gag at the obvious tease. Ben, however, merely nodded.

“The reds can wait until I’m done with these. Thanks.”

Bazine slowly straightened, her eyes on nobody else. “My pleasure. Is there a chance Skywalker will be hiring with this new change in command? I used to work at Bespin, and I rather miss the tasting room experience.”

_You could always visit._ Rey sipped her Coke.

“Well, we hope to determine that soon.” Ben looked from Rey to Poe as he spoke. “By the way, who do we talk to about increasing our distribution here? Has a Skywalker rep been to talk to you lately?”

Bazine slowly shook her head. “You would have to talk to one of the ABC managers about that. I’ll bring a business card with the next flight.” With a dainty finger wave, she left to check on their lunch.

“I’m thinking nobody has, and maybe a thorough employee review is in order.” Ben wrote _Employee Review_ at the top of the napkin.

“You haven’t had the winery a day and you’re ready to roll heads?” Rey asked. “It doesn’t sound good for morale, which is already declining a bit considering Luke died.”

“He has a point, Rey,” Poe said. “We have to look at everything. Financials, labor, equipment...Luke did most of the heavy lifting, and in retrospect I should have paid more attention to sales and distribution. Hell, there are people at the winery I don’t know their full names.”

“So, how do you want to do it? Big staff meeting or one-on-ones?” Ben hovered the pen over the napkin.

“Both. Start with an initial meeting so people know what to expect, then set up individual interviews.”

Ben nodded. “Rey, do you think Ahsoka can spare you for a few hours a day for at least a week?”

“For what?”

His expression turned blank. “For what...you’re an owner, Rey. You are involved in this.”

“I own ten percent --”

“You own. That’s enough,” Ben said. “Your ten percent puts you above every employee there save for me and Poe.”

“Oh.” Another sip. “So I can arbitrarily walk in one day, point to an underling and say, ‘You’re fired’?”

Poe nudged her. “Now look who wants to roll heads. Let’s not go mad with power.”

Ben was filling the napkin with words. He peered through his lashes at her, smiling, and she turned her attention to the dining room to fight how the simple glance affected her. Poe had her pinned in the booth, unable to escape even for a minute to cool down.

The pizza arrived, cutting into the business talk. As they ate, Ben sampled the whites and wrote on the small tasting note paper that came with the flight. Rey picked the pepperoni off her slices and ate them separately, watching Ben’s process. He may as well have been playing poker, for his face gave nothing away. Sniff, sip, savor, swallow. His notes on the wine, unlike those on the agenda napkin, were not legible to her.

Looking closer, she realized he was writing in French.

Poe noticed as well. “Is that some kind of code?”

Ben shook with stifled laughter. “Another quirk, I suppose. I learned so much about wine in France, sometimes I lapse back into the language because it makes more sense.”

“Whatever works, so long as anything you give me is in English.”

“You speak French?” Bazine returned with the red flight. “It’s such a beautiful language. I wish I knew more of it. The only thing I can say is ‘ _Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?_ ’” she added with a laugh.

Ben arched an eyebrow at her. “You know what that means, right?” Bazine shrugged and bit her lip as she walked away.

“ _Oui, allez-vous en_ ,” Rey muttered, earning a look of surprise from Ben.

Yes, go away.

Poe grabbed the last slice. “What does that mean, anyway?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? - "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"
> 
> 2\. Oui, allez-vous en - "Yes, go away."


	12. Chapter 12

Rey sat behind Poe again in his SUV for the drive home. She half-listened to the men up front discussing the internship program benefiting from Luke’s generosity. Her mind kept going back to that flirtatious pizza waitress and the memory she triggered.

***

Rey and Rose had come up through middle school together and shared several classes in ninth grade, and would have more going into tenth. Since neither could get real jobs yet, they opted to get some electives out of the way in summer school. During lull hours at the winery, they huddled at a corner table in the tasting room to do homework. This particular day, their friend Finn joined them to study for a test in their economics class.

Rey was the only one taking it seriously. Her friends preferred to watch the lone male tasting room attendant serve pours to the gaggle of women at the bar. Wedge was much older but gave off an ageless dark and handsome vibe. On busy weekends, it wasn’t unusual to see ladies wait for him to host their wine tasting. His easygoing patter and knowledge of the product was certain to result in a few case sales from the group now hanging on his every word.

The only other attendant on the clock today was Amilyn, whom Rey despised. She suspected the woman had set her cap on Luke, with the way she constantly flirt-talked to him. She was a blonde when Luke hired her, but lately started coloring her hair as Ahsoka did. It was like out of some old thriller movie she and Ahsoka had watched one night, about a woman so obsessed with her roommate that she started dressing like her and got the same haircut...just before she tried to kill the other girl and steal the boyfriend.

Of course, Ahsoka had laughed off Rey’s accusations. “She flirts with everybody, Rey. It’s her way of trying to boost sales.”

Chin resting on her hands, Rose sighed in Wedge’s direction. “You are so lucky, Rey. All these cute guys working here. It’s like a man buffet.”

Rey kept her head down over her notes. “For all the good it does me. I’m underage and many of them are married or attached.”

“And all of them are straight,” Finn said mournfully.

“There, there.” Rose patted Finn’s hand, and they both laughed.

“What is the difference between consumer goods and capital goods?” Rey asked.

Rose groaned and lowered her head to the table. “Who cares? Can’t we take a break?”

“This is an important class, Rose. You want to open up a restaurant one day; you have to know how the economy works.”

“I just want to cook. Let Paige handle the economics.” Her sister, currently at work at a local bakery, was to start culinary school in the fall.

“We’ve been at it for an hour, Rey.” Finn took Rose’s side, as usual.

Rey conceded that perhaps they needed some fuel. “Fine. I’ll get us some drinks.” The winery sold sodas to designated drivers, but Luke kept a supply for employees in the back lounge. Amilyn was seated on the couch there when she opened the refrigerator and took three Cokes.

“Those are for people who work here, _punkin_ ,” the older woman spat.

“I don’t answer to you.” Rey straightened and turned. “And that is for paying customers.” She pointed at the tasting glass filled with red on the side table.

Amilyn gave her a scowl. “I have to note the wines here if I’m to sell them. This is from one of the barrels Luke opened today, he poured it for me himself.”

Rey felt her skin go hot. Many of the other tasting attendants addressed Luke as Mr. Skywalker. Who the hell did this woman think she was that she could be so familiar with Ahsoka’s partner?

Amilyn nodded to the cans in Rey’s hand. “You and your friends shouldn’t be taking up space in the tasting room anyway. This isn’t the mall. And who said you could take those?”

“I did.”

Ben appeared in the open doorway, and Rey’s heart lurched. He looked as though he’d come in from one of the fields, as evidenced by the sweat glistening on his forehead. He held a pair of heavy gloves, which he stuffed in his back jeans pocket. His white t-shirt was damp under his arms and around his neck.

He was a sweaty, sexy mess, and the sight of him spiked Amilyn’s attention.

“I asked Rey to get some Cokes for me. It’s a thousand degrees outside,” he said and moved forward to take a can from her. “I was getting worried when you didn’t come back.”

“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.” Amilyn’s voice dripped a honeyed tone. Clearly Luke wasn’t her only target. “You’re welcome to stick around here and drink it. My lunch break isn’t up yet.”

“I gotta get back, thanks anyway.” Ben motioned for Rey to follow. “Your friends are looking for you, too.”

Rey tried not to smile over this minor victory, and silently relished Amilyn’s disappointed expression.

On the way to her table Ben grabbed a stemless wine glass. “I’ll split this can with you,” he offered, “and you let me know if she bugs you again.”

“I can deal with her.”

“You shouldn’t have to tolerate that, Rey. She was rude. If not me, then tell Luke.”

Not that Luke would listen. Amilyn was the face of politeness and sunshine when he was around. Nonetheless, it felt good to believe Ben had her back here.

Ben sat with them for the time he sipped his share of the Coke from the can. Amilyn returned from break and resumed customer tastings, shooting the occasional eye dagger at Rey from across the vast room. Ben instigated small talk about summer school, which segued into a discussion on foreign language.

“I’m taking Spanish,” Rose said. “A lot of people around here speak it. It would be good to know for running a business.”

“True, but French has its benefits,” Ben said. “No matter what you say, it sounds sophisticated.”

Finn turned starry-eyed. “Say something in French.”

“ _Je parle français maintenant_.” Ben toasted him with his glass. “I am speaking French now.”

“He’s right, it sounds amazing,” Finn said to his friends.

“Yeah.” Rose closed her book. “I don’t know any French, except for ‘ _Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?’_ ”

Ben choked on his soda, coughed a moment, and said, “You know what that means?”

Rey and her friends looked shocked to see the man sputtering. “Uh, not literally,” Rose said. “It’s from that song from _Moulin Rouge_.”

Ben gestured for Rey’s spiral notebook and pen. “Tell you what. Let’s break it down. He wrote the sentence out in large letters across one page. “Do you recognize any words at all?”

They picked out _vous_ for ‘you,’ and _moi_ for ‘me.’ Ben wrote the English equivalent under each word

“Good.” He tapped _Voulez_. “This is a verb conjugated from _vouler_ , to want. _Voulez-vous_ : do you want.”

He then skipped to the end. “Here, _ce soir_ means ‘tonight.’” Moving up, he added, “ _Avec_ is a preposition, with.”

Do you want _blank_ with me tonight?

Ben paused for a moment and circled _coucher_. “This is an unconjugated verb meaning ‘sleep.’” He wrote out the word and completed the translation.

_Do you want to sleep with me tonight?_

Rose turned a shade deeper than her first name, and Finn’s jaw dropped. “How could you not know what that means?” he cried.

“I just thought it sounded cool.” Rose shoved him. “It’s not like it’s my favorite song. You didn’t know, either.”

Rey, meanwhile, burned at the sight of Ben stifling laughter at the exchange. He returned the notebook and got up from the table. “Just be careful who you sing it to, okay? Better yet, maybe sing something else. I’ll see you guys.”

Rose and Finn continued to needle each other. Rey heard no solid words for the sight of Ben through the winery’s large windows, crushing the now empty can with his large hands before retreating back into the vines. She watched as long as possible until she lost sight of him.

***

“You still with us, Rey?”

Rey awoke from the memory to see Poe’s gaze appraising her from the rear view mirror. “We’ve been talking to you for the past minute,” he said.

“Sorry. My mind...was on the inn.”

Ben twisted in his seat to watch her. “Your mind was on Mars. We asked if you could let Jannah and Zorii know to come to a company wide meeting before opening tomorrow. Even though they’re inn employees, I want to loop them in so they’re on the same page as everybody else.”

“Oh, sure.” She nodded. “What time?”

“Ten.” The winery opened at eleven; it would give the inn side time to clean up after breakfast. Their guests had the day to themselves before they all departed for the Richmond airport Saturday morning.

“Ten it is,” Rey said, and turned to look out the window. Ben let his gaze linger on her before his attention cut back to Poe.

When they returned to Skywalker Vineyards, Poe turned into the inn’s parking lot and idled the SUV while they got out. Ben let him know he’d be at the tasting room to meet him in thirty minutes. “I want to get out of these clothes,” he said.

“Do you need me there, too?” Rey asked as Poe drove off. She wanted to check in on Ahsoka and the girls.

Ben stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at her as though carefully putting together his next words. They came out in French. “ _Parlez-vous couramment le français_?”

“ _Non_.” She wasn’t fluent. “I know enough to ask for directions to the bathroom and to order dinner.” At his bewildered reaction she laughed. “At best I’m intermediate.”

“Luke had told me you chose French for your foreign language at UVA, but I was skeptical at the time. What happened to learning the more universal Spanish?”

Her answer was a light shrug. She felt she couldn’t fully attribute the decision to his own fluency. It wasn’t like they corresponded in either language. Rey thought French beautiful and interesting. “I figured, Rose might teach me enough Spanish, and with the French I’ll impress everybody at EPCOT with my multilingual skills.”

“I miss speaking it in regular conversation,” Ben said. “If you want to keep it up, I’m more than happy to talk with you that way. Who knows, _Monsieur le Président_ Macron may come to stay at Amidala House one day.”

_Great. He can dance with Jannah, too._ “I should help them get ready for hospitality hour.” Rey moved past him toward the inn but he raised a hand, barely touching her arm.

“You were right.”

Her heart slowed. “About what?”

“We don’t really know each other. We’ve orbited the same world for years and yet our paths rarely crossed. That’s going to change with this new arrangement,” he said, and stepped closer to her.

“You intimated at the reading that moving to Virginia wasn’t a done deal for you.”

Ben tilted his head and nodded. “Had Luke split the property seventy-thirty to Poe, probably. He’s more than competent enough to step into Luke’s shoes, but when he and I were talking at the pizza counter I got the impression he doesn’t want all the weight.”

She had trouble believing this. “Poe’s talked of owning his own place for years,” Rey said. “His fiance manages an independent vineyard. They wanted a place they could run together.”

“Together with a fiance is not alone, Rey.” A shadow crossed Ben’s features and his smile fell slack. “Poe told me about Luke in his last year. I know illness ages you quickly, but I’m sure the stress of being the only boss didn’t help him.”

No argument there. Rey had lived with the man, watched him turn grayer every day.

“Anyway, I’ll be staying on for at least the full year stipulated in the will,” Ben said, lightening up, “and I think we should become better acquainted.”

“Okay.” One word out of her mouth took so much effort. Ben was moving to Skywalker. She would see him every day, up early to catch him coming back from his daily run...

Her heart fluttered. How could one man affect her like this?

He stood next to her now, blocking the cool breeze that threatened and otherwise sunny day. She needed it to get down her body temperature. “Last night, I wanted to ask you…”

She nodded, urging him on in silence and praying Leia wouldn’t appear with another block.

“...if perhaps you wanted to move away from the party and talk somewhere in private,” he said. “It wasn’t a come on, but I’d remembered what you said at the Twisted Sisters house about how we never really talked.”

“What does a ninth grader talk about with a master’s student, and vice versa?” she asked. “I hadn’t meant what I said as a slight against you; it was simply a fact. And it’s okay.”

“Ninth grade was a long time ago. You’re not that girl anymore. I’m not who I was a decade ago, either.”

Rey hoped so. Ben nine-ten years ago, she perceived as mixed up as she was now.

Ben leaned back for a moment to presumably check for spies. “Rey, would you have dinner with me tonight?”

_Yes. Thank fuck, yes!_

“To talk about the winery?” _The fuck are you doing?! He’s asking you out, and this is your reaction?_

“The winery, the inn, your life...whatever you want. I want us to be friends if we’re going to be work partners.”

Friends. She shouldn’t have expected more, not with the coolness and mild hostility she’d displayed around him and his mother. At least a dinner gave her the opportunity to make up for her boorish behavior and to open lines of communication wider. “The Cantina is still open. You seemed to like it the last time we were all there.”

“Is it taco night?”

“That’s Tuesdays. Tonight is half-off margarita pitchers.”

“Even better.” He backed away in long strides, still facing her. “What do you say about meeting me in the tasting room at closing? If I’m tied up you’ll be my excuse to leave.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to change, too. If you see Zorii could you let her know I’m on my way?”

He smiled at her. “ _Oui. Je vous verrai bientôt_.” And he turned around and disappeared through the inn’s back door.

“See you soon,” she echoed in English.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Parlez-vous couramment le français - "Do you speak French fluently?"
> 
> 2\. Oui. Je vous verrai bientôt - "Yes, I will see you soon."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/26/21: Three chapters to post today. Your comments have been greatly appreciated, esp. about the French as I've been careful to keep it as authentic as possible. 
> 
> Just a note: these chapters will be building up to the angstiest part of the story. Rough waters ahead, but you have to get through the storm to see the sun shine.

The WineBot Tours bus dropped off an exhausted but content group as the hospitality hour at Amidala House began. Ahsoka offered Zorii and Jannah an early day but both volunteered to stay on and mingle. They had endeared themselves to Luke’s relatives and closest friends, and sat in particularly to hear Uncle Owen’s stories of Luke’s youthful misadventures.

Rey sat with Leia on one couch, sipping her Viognier slowly to make it last through the hour. She’d set her digital watch to buzz at six sharp, at which she’d take her leave. She watched Ben’s mother throughout the socializing. The older woman seemed to be enjoying herself, but was constantly checking the back door and hallway for further signs of life.

“How do you think Ben and Poe are getting along?” she asked Rey while the rest of the group talked and laughed. “I haven’t seen much of him since you all got back from lunch. He’s kept information on that outing close to his chest.”

“They seem friendly enough, agreeable.” Rey noticed how Leia’s face wrinkled and her lips pursed. Something bothered her. Rey guessed the prospect of losing Ben to Skywalker Vineyards had hit her hard. Rey knew Ben was still living in the family home; at least, until now. Leia had not only lost her brother, but her son was leaving the nest.

Rey hadn’t considered that, how much more Leia hurt. The woman had money, but it couldn’t justify regular cross-country visits.

She took Leia’s hand and squeezed it, prompting a smile. “I’m sorry for my outburst at the lawyer’s today. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Don’t apologize, sweetheart,” Leia said. She took a brie puff from the tray Jannah passed around. “I probably would’ve done the same thing. It sounded like an odd bequest to me, too, but then Luke always had a method to his madness.” She glanced back at Ahsoka. “I want to ask your mother for something of Luke’s, a sapphire ring that belonged to our father. I’d like for Ben to have it.”

“If it’s a family heirloom I doubt she’ll say no. I’m sure Ben will want to pass it along to his son one day.”

Leia’s expression withered at that, confusing Rey. She would have thought the woman looked forward to grandchildren. She tried not to emote herself, thinking about Ben having a child with somebody else.

Time to change the subject. “At lunch today, the conversation was so lively. It was like they were on the same wavelength. It makes me think Luke saw something in both of them to believe they’d work well together.”

“I can’t see him in our house, on Zoom meetings with Poe. He has to be hands on.” Leia trembled in her grasp. “I’m going to miss him so much. It’s not like when he went to France. Then, I knew he’d be back eventually. Plus, I still had his father, which isn’t saying much since Ben left at the beginning of our end.”

In the spirit of bad timing, Rey’s watch buzzed the top of the hour. Right now, somebody was turning the sign on the winery door to _Closed_ , and what customers remained were settling up payments, accepting their purchases, and making their way out to the parking lot. The tasting attendants were rinsing glasses and putting away bottles. Ben and Poe were probably in Luke’s office struggling to decipher the myriad of scribbled-on Post-Its dotting his desk and walls.

And Ben was waiting for her, while she thought of how to extract herself from this party.

She downed the remainder of her wine in one gulp and stood. “Can I get you more wine, Leia?”

“I am done, thank you. Where’s Ahso-- never mind.” She waved Ahsoka closer. “We should be leaving soon, yes?”

To Rey’s relief, she learned the two women had reservations in Charlottesville, and were meeting friends of Leia’s there. Everybody else had either planned to order in or suffice with the snacks brought out tonight.

Leia turned to Rey as they were leaving. “You know, maybe you and Ben should go out for dinner tonight. After all, you’re co-owners of the winery. You need to make sure he’s working in your best interests.”

Her words made for an interesting about-face from last night’s dance interruption, but Rey wasn’t about to reject the notion to her. “That’s a good idea,” she said. “I’ll go track him down.”

***

Rey passed Wedge and another tasting attendant, Kaydel, on the way in and bade them both goodnight. Inside, Ben sat in one of the leather chairs by the fireplace, listening intently to the couple seated next to him on the matching sofa. Clad in jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt, he looked at once casual and serious.

Rey recognized Galen and Lyra Erso as longtime members of the Skywalker Wine Club and friends of Luke. Luke had even referred to them as his first “ambassadors,” always recommending the wine and the venue to others.

Ben caught her glance and smiled briefly. He held up a hand as if to say he was winding down the conversation, but continued to listen as Galen spoke. When Rey approached, the older man noticed and switched gears to say hello.

“It was a lovely party last night, Rey. Thank you for having us there.”

“Of course. Thank you for coming.”

Lyra tugged at her husband’s sleeve, a not so subtle cue to leave. Ben shook their hands and thanked them for their discussion. “I really appreciate the feedback. I think you’ll see some changes in the future,” he said, and with that the Ersos took their leave.

When the door closed Rey turned back to Ben. “Changes?”

Ben held up another napkin riddled with ink.

“Good lord, you’re planning this winery’s future on bar napkins? We have office supply stores in Virginia.”

“I take it you’re ready to go.”

A tap on the door caught her attention. Rey saw Finn through the glass and waved him inside. “He’s in the back. He knows to lock up,” Ben said as the young man darted through the room. He then gestured for Rey to follow. “Before anybody else interrupts.”

“What changes was Mr. Erso on about?” Rey asked. “Was he asking you to lower the price on the wine club? He used to do that with Luke.” She stopped short on seeing that Ben had parked the rental in Luke’s designated space. Poe had his own spot next to it. Another thing to get used to.

“No, this is something else. A point he made about winery events.” Ben set up his phone on its dash mount and called up Waze to direct him to The Cantina. “So, tell me, what are the big annual events Skywalker hosts each year?”

“There aren’t so many anymore,” Rey said. “Luke pared them down because he said they were a bitch to coordinate and something usually went wrong every time.” She ticked off last year’s events on her fingers. “There’s the anniversary celebration in April, the Fourth of July barbecue...in late August we have our Summer of Love concert where a Beatles tribute band plays, and then the oyster roast in the fall.”

Amidala House had little to do with the winery events beyond housing guests who reserved well in advance to come for them. The inn gave her plenty of work. Rey imagined with her ten-percent status she might be asked to do double-duty.

“In between all that, we do smaller things. The food truck rotation. Once in a while we host a farmer’s market on the big lawn. That’s actually a floating event,” Rey said. “We put it on last year, so another winery will do it in the summer.”

Ben turned onto the main road. “And Poe told me the April thing is cancelled because of Uncle Luke’s passing.”

“Is that why they’re complaining? I mean, Luke was sick. It was the last thing on everybody’s mind. And they were invited last night. Not all club members were.”

He didn’t look at her as he drove. “No. He was telling me about the last Fourth of July, and how the place was so full they couldn’t park and ended up turning around. And they’d actually come around opening time.”

“It’s a popular event.”

“It’s designed to attract people who aren’t regulars, yes?” Ben asked. “In hope that they will become regulars.”

“I guess…” When was the point coming? “I recall the Ersos were at the oyster roast and they had a good time.”

Ben paused at a red light. “That’s a reservation event. They knew to get tickets early because, as they mentioned, it sells out.” He shook his head. “The point he was making was that sometimes with these large events, the more devoted customers tend to get shut out in favor of large crowds.”

“Luke was running a business. You build it, they will come.”

“I’m not saying Uncle Luke was bad at promotion, or customer service and retention. Large crowds of people come to a barbecue. They’ll drink a few glasses of wine, maybe buy a bottle to take home. More often than not, you don’t hear from them until the next year.” He glanced at her before the light turned. “How many club enrollments came out of the last Fourth event?”

“Ask Poe, if he even knows. I had a full house at the inn that weekend, if that means anything.”

“I will ask,” Ben said. “That’s where a good amount of the money is. It’s an automated payment you can expect indefinitely from a satisfied customer.”

“You sound more like a businessman than a winemaker.”

Ben glanced at her. “We make excellent wine, but I can’t pay people with it. Anyway, I told Mr. Erso I’d say something. His thought is merely that some consideration should be given to the people who boost your brand more regularly than the once-a-year visitor who comes for barbecue or Beatles, then never calls you again.” The phone called out a direction and Ben followed.

“Sounds like Mr. Erso’s fishing for perks Luke wouldn’t budge on,” Rey said. “Skywalker Vineyards has a great wine club for the price. Members get reserve wines in their shipments at lower retail cost, they have use of the VIP room, exclusive barrel tastings twice a year, and discounts on practically everything. What more do they want, blowjobs?”

Ben screeched to a halt. Thankfully traffic was light and he was able to resume before the next car caught up to them.

He howled, his upper body shaking with laughter. “You trying to kill us?”

“It wasn’t that funny.” Yet Rey laughed just as hard.

“I get it,” Ben said after he calmed down. “We have people like that at Alderaan who are never happy. What worries me is if a club member becomes dissatisfied, they leave the club. The money stops, the word of mouth stops. Others follow suit.”

“All because Mr. Erso couldn’t find a parking spot on the Fourth of July?” Rey had her share of grumbling guests at the inn. She was now realizing what pains owning part of the winery threatened to bring.

“Yep.” Ben pulled into a spot near The Catina’s entrance. “But the good news is we don’t have to worry about him right now. Let’s go eat nachos and get tanked on half-price margaritas.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: building up to some heavy drinking coming.
> 
> Song: "Slow Hand" - lyrics by Michael Clark and John Bettis
> 
> This song was covered by The Pointer Sisters, and also Conway Twitty in a different arrangement. For this chapter, Ben is singing the male version (Twitty's lyrics) in The Pointer Sisters arrangement.

Rey remembered, the second they walked inside, that Thursday was also karaoke night. In front of the band setup in one corner of the restaurant, an older man was singing a Bruno Mars song, loud and offkey.

She started to pull him back to the exit. “I think the Cloud City Diner is still open.”

“Come on,” Ben urged. He steered her to the hostess stand and from there they were quickly seated. To get to their booth they had to walk past the entertainment. Rey waved at the guitarist, who winked back.

“Friend of yours?” Ben opened his menu.

“I used to babysit Grogu. He’s kind of like me, adopted,” Rey said. “His father is Mr. Djarin, who owns the dairy that supplies the cheese we sell at the winery.” Djarin Farms, in fact, distributed blocks of cheese to a number of wineries in the county, in addition to supplying dairy products used at the inn.

Ben watched the young man play. “Yeah, Mr. Djarin is coming next week to meet me. Kid’s good...reminds me a bit of me as a teenager. My ears stuck out, too.”

An image of teenager Ben flashed in her memory; he was right. Six years later, though…

“Next week?” His words struck her. “You’re flying back Saturday. Are you literally turning around from California?”

A server arrived with water, chips, and salsa. They requested a pitcher on the rocks and Rey gave her order without looking at the options.

“I’ll have the same.” Ben waited for the server to leave, then said, “I’m not going back. And I can see you’re about to ask why, and I’ll answer, but let me get a few things out of the way first.”

He opened his phone to the contacts and typed in Rey’s name, then turned it toward her. “Put in your number and e-mail, please. I have numbers for Ahsoka, Zorii and Jannah already.”

Rey complied, thinking perhaps Jannah was all too happy to give out her digits.

“ _Merci_.” Next he brought out a few sticky notes, each a different neon color. “I did upgrade briefly from napkins,” he said. “After I sent out a company-wide email about tomorrow’s meeting, a few people came up to talk. We’ll have some important announcements and I want to be sure you’re on board with everything here.”

The pitcher and two salt-rimmed glasses arrived as she perused the notes. She had no objections to the personnel changes.

“Good. Poe seemed to think you’d be okay with all of it.” He poured her drink first. “What else? We need to add you to the Google drive so you can access everything there, plus any other cloud databases Luke used for inventory, billing, and so forth. You’ll probably receive a slew of confirmation mails in the next few days.”

“I’ll be sure to check. I set up text alerts when we get reservations from the website, but if I need to prioritize anything in particular let me know.”

Ben nodded. “Are you free anytime tomorrow after the meeting to follow me into C’ville? It turns out I can drop off the rental there so I don’t have to go all the way back to the airport. Mom is taking the shuttle with everybody else.” He glanced at his watch, a steel Rolex. “They open early, so the sooner we can get out the better.”

“Sure.” She watched Ben lick the salt from his lips after the first sip, and fortified herself with a long pull from her glass. “When Ahsoka and Leia were making arrangements for your visit, I was under the impression this was a round trip for you.”

“It was. I wasn’t kidding when I said I didn’t expect Uncle Luke’s will to read as it did.” Ben leaned back as the server arrived with their meals. “When we returned to the inn I canceled my flight. There’s really no point. If I had a car and an apartment, and loose ends to tie, then yeah. I go back to California and drive a U-Haul across the country.”

He cut into his tamale. “I lived at home. My worldly belongings amount to clothes, a box of books, and my guitar. Not worth flying back for. I’ll buy new clothes here and Mom can ship the rest.”

“I feel bad for Leia, flying home alone with Luke’s urn on her lap,” she said.

“It was actually her suggestion. No justifying the expense, she said.” Ben took a bite and swallowed. “And don’t feel bad for her. Everytime she goes out, somebody recognizes her from the commercials and ends up having their ear talked off about wine. She’ll make a new friend on the flight home.”

Rey didn’t doubt that. She had to admit, too, Ben’s own story came with a twinge of sadness. He had nothing to retrieve because nearly everything belonged to his mother or the winery, and soon she’d sell her half.

No car, no pets…

No girlfriend.

Rey’s mood lightened a bit. They passed the rest of the meal catching up on the last few years, all the while Rey tried to push the discomforting feelings from his last visit from her mind. She was enjoying this dinner, date or no.

Ben topped off their glasses and glanced at the stage. “That woman is butchering Bowie. That cannot stand.”

Rey let out a short laugh and forked up the last bite of her quesadilla. “You wanted to stay, remember that.”

“At least the band’s good.”

“Grogu was a child prodigy. Easy to babysit, too. He just sat at the piano or guitar the whole time.”

Ben watched them perform, drinking deeply. Rey saw the gears increasing speed in his mind. Everywhere he’d turn for the next few weeks, he’d likely spot or hear something he might apply to the winery -- a new vendor, new entertainment. Rey wondered how many changes she’d see by the end of the year.

The Bowie butcher finished with a flourish and bowed to a smattering of applause. Grogu’s bassist grabbed the mic. “Thank you, Debra. You’re getting better.”

“That was _better_?” Ben whispered, leaning across the table. Rey swatted him quiet.

“Next up on the hit parade…” The bassist checked the signup log. “Rey Jakkson, where you at?”

Rey coughed up margarita. “What?” She sputtered, and looked up to see Grogu’s devilish grin. “You know damn well I didn’t sign up tonight,” she called to her former charge.

“Come on, live a little,” shouted someone from the bar.

Ben drained his glass and stood. “I’ll sub for her,” he told the band.

The thought of Ben singing in her place deepened her embarrassment. “Ben, sit down.” She reached out but he evaded her hand. “Grogu likes to prank people. You don’t have to--”

“What? It’s five minutes of my life at best.” He set the glass down and winked at her. “I promise I won’t make an ass of either of us.”

“Remember what you represent now!” She raised her voice, knowing full well Luke would have signed up immediately to lead the crowd in singing a Kinks hit.

The bassist and Grogu conferred with Ben for a moment while the patrons murmured, restless. “Okay, let’s give up for big Ben over here,” the musician said right as the keyboardist launched into a sparkling, sensual melody.

“I sang this at a friend’s wedding on a dare once. Hope you all like The Pointer Sisters,” Ben told the crowd, then broke into song. Rey’s jaw dropped as she listened. She had no idea Ben could sing. It was clear The Catina hadn’t experienced a decent amateur on karaoke night in a while, judging by how the audience encouraged him.

_Darlin’, don’t say a word, ‘cause I already heard, what your body’s sayin’ to mine…_

She was aware of The Pointer Sisters but wasn’t familiar with the song. Grogu, a human encyclopedia of music, had come prepared while the rest of the band rode the wave. The lyrics spoke of desire, a man willing to give his partner everything she wanted...slowly.

Rey scanned the room for reactions. People had stopped eating and the white noise of chatter died. Women especially were riveted by the song, swaying in time and some mouthing along. “Who is that?” she heard the blonde in the next booth ask.

_When it comes to love you want a sloooooow hand. You want a lover with an easy touch…_

Touch. Sense four, been there done that. Only taste remained.

Rey had to settle for the sharp tang of margarita salt and watered down tequila. She kept the glass raised to her lips when Ben sang in her direction.

_If you want it all night...I’ll say all right._ That charged up the crowd more. Rey heard the blonde squeal with delight at the assumption he was singing to her.

When it was over Ben received the loudest, longest applause since their arrival. He took a bow and begged off an encore, prompting the band to take a break. “I think we should hire the band for an event one night,” he said after sitting.

“For karaoke at the winery? Mr. Erso would love that.”

"No.” Ben lifted the pitcher but passed on a refill. “One song a year is enough for me.” He leaned to one side and smiled, and Rey realized the blonde had made eye contact.

Rey turned and delivered a glare designed to split the girl’s skull in half. The party at the next table got the hint and returned to their conversation.

“What?” she demanded of a quietly laughing Ben.

“Nothing. I’m flattered.” His attention was drawn away again, this time by a server toting a tray full of complimentary shots. Ben thanked him when the first two came down, but one by one the rest joined them. Ben looked, bewildered, at the ten shot glasses filled with tequila.

“It’s a tradition on karaoke night,” Rey explained. “If a patron likes your song, they will buy you a shot. You obviously brought down the house, and emptied the bar.”

Ben’s expression radiated pure amazement. “I -- I can’t do ten shots in one sitting,” he said. The server returned with a dish of lime slices. “This is it, right? I need to order a liver to go.”

“Well, enjoy.” Rey raised her margarita in a toast.

“No.” He pushed five of the glasses closer to her. “You have to help me.”

“Ugh. Straight tequila burns.” She laughed, the alcohol from her own drinks hitting her. “This looks like a drinking game gone rogue.”

Ben raised his eyebrows. “Now there’s an idea. How about a few rounds of Never Have I Ever? Loser drinks what’s left.”

“No.”

He leered. “Afraid you’ll lose?”

“I hate that game. It’s just a way for people to brag about their sex lives.” Playing with friends in the past, Rey often ended up with the most booze in her cup.

“It doesn’t have to be about sex,” Ben said. “Let’s do this: we each say one thing we never did, the other person drinks if yes. Whoever finishes their five shots first loses, then has to drink the rest.”

Rey listened, arms folded. The ambient noise of multiple conversations was back to an acceptable volume for this. Hopefully nobody was eavesdropping.

“You,” he continued, “can pose anything, sexual or not. I will keep my ‘nevers’ to non-sexual activity.”

Tempting, though Rey had an odd feeling of how this game might play out. “Why are you doing this?”

Ben folded his arms on the table. “I brought you here to get to know each other better. Uncle Luke did more than give me half his business, he entrusted me with something that will benefit you. The inn’s success is residual of the winery’s, so in a way I’m responsible for you and your mother. I want you to trust me, too, and to know I want to be completely transparent.”

“Really?”

He held her gaze, his face soft. “Ask me anything.”

Rey touched the stem of her margarita glass, with the one “never” she wanted confirmed by him searing in her mind.

She pushed aside the empty plates. “Line ‘em up.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: multiple hard liquor shots, drinking game, and Ben and Rey each reveal sordid details of their respective pasts.

In the years since The Cantina’s grand opening, Rey had come on karaoke night many times, often with friends after reaching drinking age. From what she’d gathered, the tequila “tribute” shots sent to singers came from the bottom shelf. The staff spared the good stuff.

She estimated she was looking down at about sixteen ounces total of rot gut. If she lost tonight, she’d surely spend her morning hovered over the toilet.

“Ladies first,” Ben said. The game was afoot.

Rey decided, this being his idea, he should suffer immediately. “Never have I ever,” she said with all sweetness, “been to France.”

“That’s not fair.”

She shrugged, trying her best at innocence. “You said ask anything. And I’ve never been.”

“Fine.” He sighed. “But maybe no more gimme answers? Let’s challenge each other.” He pinched some salt from his margarita glass then licked, slammed, sucked. He pitched the flattened lime wedge on his plate.

His turn. “Never have I ever...played lacrosse.”

She gaped at him. “Hey,” he said, “just putting us on an even playing field. Pardon the pun.”

Rey coughed as the tequila burned a trail down her throat. The sharp lime stung, but not as badly.

Tie game.

She sipped water to regain her voice. “Never have I ever…” _Something Californians do_. “Been waterskiing.”

He didn’t move. Damn.

“Never have I ever seen Dave Matthews in concert.”

"Neither have I." Dave owned a winery in the area. It made sense for Ben to guess that one.

“Never have I ever…” she thought a moment, “smoked weed.”

Ben muttered a curse and took the second shot, stacking his glasses. “I should contest that one. Nearly everybody in Cali has an MMJ card. My mother has one.”

“Leia smokes weed?” Rey’s eyes widened.

“Edibles, once in a blue moon. If you had to deal with my dad and his screech owl wife, you’d take them, too. Just so you know, it’s not a habit with me.” He stared her down. “Never have I ever been to Washington, D.C.”

Damn the eighth grade field trip. Two to two.

Ben chuckled. “You haven’t given me a sex ‘never’ yet.”

“They’re coming. Shut up,” she said when he laughed. “Okay. Never have I ever had a threesome.”

He slapped the table and took the third shot, then stuffed a lime wedge in his mouth.

“Holy shit!” She covered her mouth, thinking the whole restaurant heard. In a lower voice the tequila spoke for her, “Now I have to know what combo it was.”

He parted his lips to show her the lime rind, then took it out. “Are you familiar with the term ‘spit roasting’?”

“My curiosity is satisfied. Go.” The tequila warmed her insides and tingled her skin. She could tell Ben felt no pain, either.

“Never have I ever kissed a person of the same gender,” he said.

“You said you wouldn’t do sex ‘nevers’ with me.”

Ben waved a finger. “It’s not sex. It’s kissing.”

Rey paused a moment, then snarled and took her third shot. Ben gasped hard.

“That is so hot.” He leaned close, exhaling tequila. “Was it Rose?”

“No,” she barked. “Whose turn is it?” She remembered, then, “Never have I ever done any BDSM stuff.”

Ben held up his hands. “No kinks. Sorry. Never have I ever read Jane Austen.”

“I’ve only seen the movies. Never have I ever watched porn.”

“Seriously?”

She gave an exaggerated nod.

Down went his fourth shot. Ben’s eyes started to glaze. She opened her phone to a rideshare app.

“Never have I ever...fuck, I lost it.” He laughed. “Oh! I’ve never been to Disney World Orlando.”

“Neither have I, yet.”

He cringed. “Right, I forgot.”

Rey eyed the mess they’d made. Four empty shot glasses rested in a curved tower by Ben’s hand. His last shot stood alone. Once he drank it, he’d have to finish hers.

Her final “never” bubbled in her mind. She wanted to word it correctly, because after ten years she had to know, had to hear it from him. While the prospect of voicing it stood to spoil her merriment, she wanted this out in the open so, at the very least, she’d get an explanation. Dare she wish it also, an apology.

“Never have I ever,” she said slowly, “shared an intimate moment with another person inside the Skywalker winery.”

Ben’s face wrinkled, as though processing her words. “What, you mean like did it in the winery?”

“Anything. Sex, petting, kissing.”

“Sorry. If you have said Alderaan you would have won now,” he said.

_No._ He was lying. She'd seen it with her own eyes. She'd seen him kissing that woman, that bitch who’d made her life miserable all that summer. Why would he lie about that? He wanted to be transparent, so why cheat at a stupid drinking game?

Unless, he had no memory of that day. Possible. Ten years on, maybe it meant nothing to him. Rey watched the tequila work a number on Ben. He had trouble holding his head.

Game over. This took the fun out of the evening. Of course, had Ben slammed the last shot it would have had the same effect on her. “I think we should stop now, Ben.” She moved the last filled glass to her untouched drinks. “We are too wrecked to drive. I’m getting us a ride home.”

As she requested a car, he nodded vigorously. “I think we should go home and throw up.”

“A perfect end to a perfect night.”

***

Any louder and they’d scare the coyotes lurking in the hills. Ben slammed the rideshare door on his side with more force than necessary, and wobbled on his feet. Rey came around as the car reversed, and she slipped under one of his arms.

“Let’s go, lightweight. Before you wake the whole inn.” The water she’d gulped down before leaving helped. A tequila headache throbbed in her temples, but she felt confident she had the balance and mental acuity to get Ben as far as the hospitality room. With her arm around his waist, she guided him to the back door, pausing to use her key.

“We have to check the nesting box,” Ben told her.

“Zorii does that now. It’s all good.” The hospitality room used a dimmer switch, and Rey kept the light low. She moved with Ben and sat him on the couch. “Ben, this is important. Look at me.”

Ben’s whole body swayed. He was a big man, and in her own buzzed state his size was no doubt magnified. She held one of his hands, and stared down at his long fingers. Thoughts of what he could do to her with that one hand surfaced, and she tamped it down. She was supposed to be mad at him, for fuck’s sake.

It surprised Rey how she was able to get him here on her own. If he toppled forward he’d land on her and pin her to the floor. Not ideal in this state.

“Look at me,” she repeated. Ben gave her a weak smile, his eyes heavy-lidded and dreamy.

“I told you how sexy you looked in that dress the other night, yes?” he asked.

He’d used _incredible_ , and that was enough to heat her blood. “You need to lie on your side, or your stomach,” she said. “So you don’t choke if you vomit. I don’t want to deliver you back to your room while your mother’s in there, not while you’re smashed.”

He tore his hand from her grip and rested it on her cheek. “You looked like a fucking goddess standing on those steps. I saw you and my heart stopped,” he said, his voice slurring a bit. “The whole time we were in that house, I was thinking of how I wanted you in my arms so I could slip that dress off your body.”

“You are so drunk, Ben.” With every word, she sobered more. The tequila had loosened his tongue and inhibitions. Anywhere else, had she lacked morals, she might have let him ramble on and attempt to get him to demonstrate his thoughts.

Were these words genuine, though? She’d purchased that dress intending to make a statement, and she found success. Vamp Rey had turned Ben mute, then now into a lustful, blabbering mess.

Yet, Black Tie Ben nearly did the same to her.

“Ben, there’s a reason every woman wanted to dance with you. You were pure suit porn. Don’t think I didn’t notice, either.”

“It’s a rental,” he whispered. “It was probably _used_ in porn. Which I watched.” He laughed, and she had to shush him so as not to wake the inn.

“You’ll say anything when you’re bombed, won’t you?” Again, the temptation rose. She listened for movement with the inn, then shook Ben a bit. “Ben, this is important.” She watched his eyes flutter. “When I asked about you kissing somebody in the Skywalker winery, I was talking about that summer ten years ago.”

“Right.”

“Try to remember, Ben. You kissed one of the tasting attendants.”

His lip curled. “You mean Wedge?”

“Not Wedge, damn it.” She nearly threw him down, knowing he’d hit the couch pillow unconscious. As it was he was heavy and slipping from her grasp.

“Rey, I told you. I didn’t mess around with any Skywalker staff. All I did was work…” His eyes widened. “And you hit me.”

“Nice. _That_ you remember in your drunken haze.”

“You can’t forget a thing like that.” He paused, then said, “I’d like to kiss _you,_ though.”

Rey held Ben’s face in her hands. His goofy smile plus his ragged breathing should have turned her off, but his vulnerable state endeared her to him despite their drinking game going south.

“I want you, Rey.” He curled his hands around her wrists. “Don’t you want me?”

“Not like this,” she told him.

“That’s not a no.”

_Be strong_ , she told herself as her toes curled tight in her shoes.

“I want the truth first, Ben. Then we’ll go from there.”

“What truth? I keep telling you the truth…” His voice faded with every word, and soon he was snoring with his mouth open. Rey sighed and nudged him so he lay on his side. At best, he’d pass the night unspoiled and wake with a hangover. At worst, she’d volunteer to clean up the puke when she and Ahsoka came up in the morning.

She stroked the hair from his forehead. “Goodnight, Ben.” She’d discuss it in the morning with him. If they were to work together, she wanted the air clear.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/28/21 - Four chapters in this update. All feedback has been appreciated; as I am pantsing this, it does help with the direction of the story. We will be heading into the angst territory here, with Rey not on her best behavior, as this reveals what she thinks she saw. 
> 
> Content notes in this chapter: accidental mild voyeurism, implied animal death, angst-ridden teenager

Sleep was a stranger. After a long hour of tossing in bed, Rey slipped into her robe and fixed a cup of chamomile tea. Huddled on the living room couch in the dark, she wrapped her hands around the warm mug and sipped away her hangover, thinking about Ben.

Had he sobered up enough to stumble back into his suite? Hopefully he hadn’t roused his mother if so, thereby setting himself up for a third degree.

Though she knew it was bad for the eyes to fiddle with a phone before sleep, Rey pulled hers out of her robe pocket to crush some digital candy. She noticed the text alert from Ben and opened it.

_I didn’t choke to death. We’ll talk after the meeting, okay? Dors bien, ma chérie._

Damn, even his French texts delivered the sexy. Rey snuggled into the couch and let her eyes close. The memories played out in full color.

***

Rey had come up to the winery that morning, before it opened to the public, to borrow Luke’s office computer. The Internet hookup at home was acting weird and she had to upload her final summer school assignment. Luke had Ben working the tasting room for the week, in the uniform of khakis and a blue Polo with the Skywalker logo stitched on the breast. They waved at each other as she dashed inside, and she slowed for a better look at him on the way to the back offices.

Once finished with schoolwork, with Luke not yet in to start his office routine, she lingered and fell down a Twitter rabbit hole, catching up on trends and favorite celebrity accounts. When she realized the time she started back for the house but a soft moaning from the employee lounge slowed her steps. She hovered by the open doorway and felt her body go numb.

Amilyn had come to work, only in that small room somebody was working on her. Amylin’s eyes were closed and her head tilted upward. She was leaning against the wall of lockers reserved for staff belongings, vocalizing for appreciation for the figure pressed against her while she clawed at his back. Rey saw his shock of dark hair, and his large arms stretched down and around Amilyn’s slim form. He buried his face in her neck, breathing heavy.

Without a sound, she backed away and rushed out the back exit.

_Why, Ben?_ A few weeks ago he’d defended Rey to that acid-tongued witch, and now he was dry-humping her in the employee lounge where anybody could walk in on them. 

What upset her was his perceived lack of loyalty. How does a man go from dismissing a woman as rude one day, then sucking on her neck a week later? Had he forgotten how awful Amylin was to her, and not just that day? Why did every adult disregard Rey’s feelings?

Rey ran without a clear view of her path. The tears welling up blurred her vision, so she ran by memory, cutting across the expansive lawn bordering the winery, where couples and families would lunch at the picnic tables on sunny days. She had to dodge a few dogs from early visitors, some trailing leashes, and one tried to follow so she quickened her pace.

She reached the chicken house and bent over to catch her breath. She should have checked the nesting box an hour ago -- this was her responsibility for the summer until Ahsoka hired a new housekeeper. It would take a lifetime of chores to erase today’s hurt, but this task was a start.

One pale green egg rolled in the corner of the wooden box. A fairly low count given the abundance of eggs collected over the week. Either Ahsoka had decided not to wait for her, or something was bothering the chickens.

Rey took the egg, and when her gaze panned down she noticed the disturbance on the far side of the fenced-in run: a sizable mound of dirt and a bend in the chicken wire. It was rather quiet, too, for mid-morning.

She looked inside the chicken house and spotted red Hermione, white Minerva, and the dark Bellatrix. Rounding the run to inspect the anomaly, her blood went cold.

Something had gotten in.

Rey whistled and called out for the chickens. This group responded well to her; the three resting in the chicken house strutted down the walk and onto the grass towards her. The rooster, Dumbledore, came trotting out behind one of the posts with young Ginny in tow.

“Luna?” She called out for the beautiful blonde crossbreed that she adored. Luna was the sweetest girl and not shy. She was the only chicken who’d feed out of Rey’s hand.

And she was nowhere to be seen.

“Luna!” She double, triple-checked the chicken area and ran the perimeter of the cottage. She scanned the acreage of vines from the backyard to the hill, the sad thought of Luna’s demise in the forefront of her mind. She hated to accept it, but the tear in the fence provided the proof.

She walked back to the nesting box, leaning against it, and sobbed.

“Rey?” sounded the last deep voice she wanted to hear now. She turned around to see Ben standing a few feet away, looking concerned.

“Rey, punkin, what’s wrong?”

Until now, Ben had conceded to stop with the hated nickname with which Amilyn teased her. The word triggered her. She’d always be a little girl, either dismissed or cajoled. That one word unleashed her fury.

“I wish you all would stop calling me that!” She hurled at the egg at Ben, hitting him in the Skywalker logo, and ran for the house.

“Rey! Slow down.” Ahsoka had the oven open and skidded to one side when Rey barged through the kitchen. She didn’t stop until she reached her room, slamming the door behind her.

Nobody came to check on her, not for at least an hour. When Ahsoka brought up a plate of cookies and milk -- comfort food for a child -- she explained everybody decided to give her time to cool down.

“Ben saw the damage to the chicken wire. He and Luke are going to repair it for you. Honey, I’m sorry about Luna,” Ahsoka said. “I know she was your favorite.”

Rey crammed a cookie in her mouth and chewed, fresh tears streaking down her cheeks.

“Despite this shock, I think you should apologize to him for the egg. He said he’s okay if you don’t; he knows you were upset, and he admitted he slipped on the p-word.”

“That’s not all,” she said, sniffling. “I had to discover Luna was gone right after...Amilyn...ugh!” She beat her fist on a pillow. “Why does she still work here? She is always terrible to me, and today she was…”

Ahsoka’s expression turned stony. “What, dear? What did she do? Tell me what’s wrong.”

The words couldn’t be heard for Rey’s ugly cry. She’d lost an ally at the vineyard, she’d lost a beloved pet, and not even her mother’s homemade cookies soothed her. She fell into Ahsoka’s arms and let go.

When Rey finally calmed, Ahsoka rubbed her back and bade her to take a nap. “I’ll take care of this,” she said. “I’ll talk to Luke and we’ll get to the bottom of this. Rey, I am so sorry we didn't take this issue with Amilyn seriously.”

Easier said than done. Adults promised Rey all sorts of things, but followed through maybe half the time. Amilyn was certain to sweet talk her way of trouble, and likely her family would placate her with a chicken to replace Luna. She drifted into sleep on that expected disappointment.

She awoke to music downstairs. Luke loved his classic rock, and Rey deduced he’d come home for a break before shoring up the day’s paperwork. The cookies no longer tempted her; she craved something more substantial.

Voices from the kitchen mingled with the music until Ahsoka barked at somebody to shut off the radio. Luke razzed her a bit before resuming with conversation with Ben, all the while Rey lurked in the hall.

“It’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? She threw an egg at you, but she’ll get over it. It doesn’t equate to banishment.”

“I’m just saying maybe the quarters are too close here right now. You didn’t see her, she was devastated and acted like I had something to do with it. Maybe I did, because I helped build that pen,” Ben said. “I’m flying to Paris next week, anyway. I could use the distance to immerse myself in French more. I’ll drive you all nuts practicing it here.”

Luke sighed. “Well, it’s not up to me. Ahsoka manages the inn...even a few days takes away bookings.”

“I’ll pay for it, Uncle Luke. I won’t freeload. I’ll pay like any guest.”

“Believe it or not, the Mara Jade suite is free until you leave,” Ahsoka said.

Rey held her breath. Ben was moving out because of her? Was he using the egg incident as an excuse to get away from her, and into a place where he could continue his fling?

“Then I’ll check in. Don’t worry about feeding me, I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll still have dinner here,” Ahsoka said like that was the final word.

“I don’t want Rey feeling guilty about this,” Luke said. “This feud she has with Amilyn is enough of a headache. I don’t want bad blood in the house.”

She heard Ben give a hollow laugh before he said, “She’s just a kid, she’ll probably forget in a week. She’ll find a new distraction and won’t even notice I’m gone.”

_If that’s what you want._ Rey refused to let guilt gnaw at her. If Ben wanted to leave, fine. Let him go to Paris tomorrow for all she cared. Put an ocean between them.

She backed away and padded up the stairs, her hunger forgotten.

***

Rey’s tea turned cold. She steeped the bag she’d left in the cup and recalled the aftermath of that awful day. Luke did finally fire Amilyn that week, but only after an investigation that revealed she’d bullied some of the staff in addition to Rey. Her impeccable service record to customers meant nothing if she proved a holy terror among her peers.

Rey took small comfort in it. Other people, adults, spoke up to make Amilyn’s termination happen.

Ben moved into Amidala House for the remainder of his stay. Rey still saw him but barely acknowledged him when she was at the winery, and stayed mute through family dinners. The winery staff ordered in pizza on his last full day, but Rey hung back with the attendants she liked.

The morning Luke drove him to Richmond, she stood next to Ahsoka after the woman hugged him. She didn’t budge.

“ _Au revoir_ , Rey,” he said to her. “ _À la prochaine_. I’ll see you again.”

“ _Adieu_ ,” she said, and his face turned sad.

“Don’t say that,” he said, and slung his bag over his shoulder. “That form of goodbye is permanent.”

Rey hadn’t known at the time the different French words for _farewell_ took on different meanings. As the memories replayed in her mind, she pondered what she might have changed. Had the Internet worked at home that day, she could have avoided the whole mess altogether. However, Luke might have kept Amilyn on staff.

What couldn’t change was the fact that she was just a kid then, though that day she’d decided to grow up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Dors bien, ma chérie - "Sleep well, my dear."


	17. Chapter 17

A gentle caress on her cheek woke her. Rey opened her eyes to her mother’s smile. Ahsoka was already dressed.

“You slept here all night? I didn’t see you upstairs and I thought you’d already gone in.”

Rey yawned and checked her watch. “My alarm didn’t work. I’m sorry. I’ll get dressed quick.” On seeing Ahsoka’s sharp glare, she added, “I had tummy trouble so I made herbal tea. Ben and I went to The Cantina for dinner.”

“Mex and margaritas. That’ll do it.” Ahsoka clucked her sympathy and promised to have coffee waiting. Ahsoka had insisted Jannah and Zorii come in after the company meeting, but when Rey and her mother approached the inn they found both of their cars in the small employee lot.

Inside, Zorii had coffee working in the industrial brewer and two quiches in the oven.

“Why is it so difficult for you ladies to follow directions?” Ahsoka said in a joking manner. “You both ought to catch up on sleep.”

“Who can sleep with all this excitement? I hate company wide meetings.” Zorii’s voice betrayed her otherwise perky expression. “Last one I went to, we all got laid off.”

Ahsoka brought out the plates. “Was that so bad? If you’d kept that job, we wouldn’t have you.”

“I may have applied here anyway. This is much more fun than sitting at a desk for eight hours.”

“Where’s Jannah?” Rey peered out the swinging door into the hospitality room and found no signs of sickness.

Zorii set up a mug in the Keurig for herself. “Out front, waiting for the gun show to start.”

“What?” Rey checked Ahsoka’s reaction and saw confusion. Zorii, however, jerked her head to one side to indicate Rey should investigate.

Jannah was perched on a rocker on the front porch, sipping coffee and watching the main road.

“What’s the word, hummingbird?” Rey asked.

Jannah nodded in the direction of Mos Eisley. “Driving up here, I passed Ben Solo running in the other direction, looking too fine in those damn short shorts. About plowed my car into the ditch.”

“I see.” It impressed Rey he was able to get up and run after all that drinking. At least the morning weather allowed for it. “So you’re waiting here to exact your revenge and demand compensation for repairs?”

Jannah held up a towel. “I’m here to do my job, which is to offer hospitality to our guests.”

“Mind if I hang and watch? There’s nothing good on TV this early.”

Jannah laughed. “I don’t need a chaperone, and you don’t need to worry,” she said. “I’m just having some fun. I know I don’t have a shot in hell with this guy, not with the way he looks at you.”

“Hey, don’t assume --”

The other woman pinned her with a look. “Rey, the satellites spying on us can see it, it’s that obvious. If you like him, too, what’s the damn problem?”

“It’s complicated.”

Jannah stood up a moment, gazing down the road, then sat down. False alarm. “How? You’re not related.”

“No, but we’ve been acquainted for some time. There’s an age gap…”

“Ahsoka and Luke were practically May/December.”

Rey was now watching the road, waiting for Ben to materialize. “True, but she wasn’t underage when they met.”

Jannah blew out a noise. “That’s only a problem if he was grooming you.” She stood up next to her. “Did he?” she whispered.

“No! Gross.” Nothing of the sort happened to her. “There’s just a lot to unpack. He’s only been back in town a few days, and I hadn’t seen him in years.”

“Was he as cute back then?”

_Oh yeah_. Rey made to speak more but Jannah elbowed her and they watched Ben round the curve, becoming visible past a short line of trees and fence. Today he wore a darker running singlet with fluorescent tape attached across the chest, plus bright red shorts. His gait appeared smooth and his head tilted back to catch the air. As he came closer to the inn he slowed to a walk, cutting up the lawn toward the porch.

He made eye contact with them and attempted a smile, still breathing hard. Jannah’s quiet noises of appreciation nearly had Rey laughing.

“Oh, holy shit,” Jannah then murmured, “here comes the money shot.”

Ben was reaching behind his neck with both hands as she spoke. His singlet came off in one smooth motion and he bunched it in one fist. All that remained between him and them was a thin layer of some nylon blend fit snugly around his hips and crotch.

Rey thought for certain Jannah might shriek at the sight of him, or else deliver a racy aside. The other woman simply stared at Ben’s body. Rey fought to rein in her own emotions. This view would never get old.

“Morning,” he said, pausing at the bottom step.

“You sleep okay last night?” Rey asked him.

“Not really. I woke up early, figured I might as well do something constructive.” The rhythmic rise and fall of his smooth, bare chest hypnotized Jannah, so much that Rey nearly waved a hand to get her to blink.

Quickly, the other girl recovered. “Do you need some water, Ben?” She’d forgotten the towel.

Ben pointed to a small bottle tucked in the corner of the porch railing. “I left some pickle juice over there, if you could hand it to me.”

“What?” Jannah delivered it but not without a twisted lip to convey surprise. “You actually drink this?”

He nodded. “Helps with hydration, and muscle cramps.” The second he put the bottle to his lips must have killed the mood, as Jannah announced she was needed back in the kitchen. “I’ll get your plate ready,” she told Ben, and threw Rey a _WTF_ face before going back into the house.

Rey watched Ben finish the bottle. “I think you discovered girl repellent.”

“You’re still here.”

“I don’t…”

“Yeah,” he broke in, “you’re not a girl anymore.” Ben leaned on the railing, watching her. “I’m sorry about last night. I’m a lousy drunk, and I honestly didn’t expect four shots to knock me on my ass.”

“That, plus half a pitcher. I wasn’t any better. Don’t worry about it.”

“I do, though.” He trudged up the steps and sat in the rocker Jannah vacated, stretching his long legs. From where she stood, Rey saw the slit in his shorts open to reveal a patch of very pale skin on his upper hip. Panning down, she found where his blurred tan lines began on his upper thighs.

“Rey?”

The bubble popped. “Sorry.”

“If I made you feel uncomfortable last night, I’m sorry. That’s the last thing I want.”

“You were fine,” Rey said with a dismissing wave. “You pretty much conked out when I got you inside.”

Ben’s eyes searched her face, as though discerning the truth. “Did I? Last person who saw me drunk said I got a bit mouthy.”

“Meaning what?” Wow. He really didn’t remember?

“That I talk.” He stood and stretched out the waistband of his shorts, snapping them into place. Rey caught the flash of red marks along his skin from where the elastic pinched. “You’d tell me if I said something inappropriate, right?”

_Like how you wanted to undress and kiss me? How you wanted me? Want me. Do you?_ Were those words inappropriate? They were certainly appreciated.

How could she be certain those words were true, though, if the past still left her with questions?

This would have been the time for Ben’s mother to interrupt. Rey waited a moment, then said, “You were speaking French, Ben. I couldn’t keep up.”

Ben shook with quiet laughter. “Yeah, that happens sometimes. I got drunk in France more often than here. I’m going to shower and brush my teeth. See you inside? We’ll walk up to the winery together.”

“Sure.”

“And afterward we have to get the rental from The Cantina and take it back. We have a lot to do today.” He paused. "A lot to talk about, still."

“Busy day.” She gave him a few minutes head start before entering the inn. She wanted to leave the white lie on the porch with the towel Jannah left behind.


	18. Chapter 18

Poe tapped a spoon on the bowl of a long-stemmed glass etched with the Skywalker Vineyards logo. “A’right a’right a’right. Settle down, class. We have a lot to get through before we open,” he addressed the crowd. Nearly the entire staff had assembled in the tasting room, crowded together on the sofas and sitting in chairs brought in from other places within the property. Rey took a stool at the bar, flanked by Jannah and Zorii. They were the only ones not wearing the standard uniform of Polo and khakis among the workers scheduled to work today.

Ben and Poe stood before the fireplace. When the chatter quieted, Poe stepped aside for Ben to give his introductory remarks. He gave a brief history of his winery experience, and acknowledged the people still at Skywalker when he worked here last, and assured everybody he would work with Poe to keep the business to the high standards Luke set.

“As far as changes goes, we’re still talking,” he said. “You know by now that Rey also owns a percentage of Skywalker, and we intend to include her as much as possible in the day-to-day operations. She will continue to run the inn with Ahsoka, but Poe and I hope to have her on this side as much as possible.”

Zorii nudged her. Rey brushed her off with a smile.

“One thing we will implement immediately is an adjustment to the vacation policy.” Ben waited a moment for murmurs to pass, then, “This being an agritourist destination, we’re obliged to keep hours during most bank holidays. Luke only designated Christmas and Thanksgiving as the two days we close, but I think we can do better.”

He looked at Poe. “After conferring with Poe and Rey, starting this year we will also be closed Christmas Eve and the day before Thanksgiving, paid.” Excited talk rose at that. “I considered Black Friday, but Poe informed me that’s a big sales day here. To make up for having to work holidays like Easter and the Fourth, we are giving two floating holidays to each employee. You can take your birthday off, or my birthday,” he added with a smile, “any day at all, and it will not count toward your vacation time. We only ask that if you want to take a big sales day off, like Black Friday, get your request in early because we may have to first come, first serve those.

“Speaking of vacation time, starting today every employee -- regardless of how long you’ve been here -- now gets fifteen days of paid leave instead of ten.” Ben then shushed the wave of gasps rippling through the crowd. “This is a policy my mother implemented at Alderaan, and I can tell you it really boosted morale. Happy workers make a successful business, and we all need time to unwind. Plus, if you’re concerned, we checked the budget and we can do it.”

Jannah raised her hand. “All these floating days and extra vacation... that goes for inn employees, too? Because the inn is 365 a year.”

“Yes. Ahsoka’s on board with it. Any benefits the staff here gets, so do the inn employees.”

Jannah leaned into Rey. “I am liking the new regime.” Rey draped an arm around her and squeezed.

Ben wound down his talk with mentions of insurance and retirement options, to come with the one-on-one interviews to be scheduled. “I’ll send out an email with a calendar so you can choose the best time for you. Now,” he waved Poe to the forefront, “Poe will speak to a few personnel changes.”

“Uh-oh,” said Zorii. Rey understood the other woman’s discomfort, but patted her shoulder as if to say not to worry.

Poe clasped his hands. “Right. So you may have noticed somebody is missing today. Our distribution man, Jack, handed in his notice yesterday evening, effective immediately. He was not fired, I want to make that clear for rumor control. We simply had a parting of the ways. I’ll speak nothing further on it, only to say we will soon post an opening for his position. If you know anybody with sales experience, feel free to refer them to us.”

Rey watched for the general reaction. It didn’t speak of upset or sadness, and Rey guessed perhaps Jack wouldn’t be missed. She didn’t know him well enough to judge, but imagined Ben and the man had words before the latter quit.

“Next up, where’s Sabine? Come here, girl.” Poe held out an arm for the older woman. “Good news and bad news, folks. Sabine’s husband is retiring, which is awesome for him. Bad news is, rather than divorce him and stay with us forever, Sabine has decided to move with him to their new home in the Finger Lakes region of New York.”

Rey clapped along with everybody, softening at the general reaction. Everybody loved Sabine, the tasting room manager, and wished her well. Poe mentioned Sabine had already found work at a winery there. Ben, leaning against the fireplace, added, “We’ll have to do a wine exchange.”

“Know this, you are all invited to visit,” Sabine said to a round of cheers before taking her seat.

“Next up,” Poe beckoned to Kaydel, who came forward. “Kay and Beau are having a baby!”

Jannah squealed; Rey winced at the sudden noise. This announcement brought an enthusiastic reception, forcing Poe to speak over the noise. “Sadly, she is also leaving to prepare for full-time motherhood. Hopefully, in a few years, we’ll have her back in the tasting room, or maybe out in the vines. We’ll find something for her to do.”

“We’re going to be selling onesies with the Skywalker logo, by the way. So expect one as our gift to you,” Ben joked.

“That said,” Poe continued, “we now have openings for one distribution rep and two tasting room attendants.” He held up two fingers. “I say this because, and this is the consensus among all the owners, that we have offered Wedge a promotion to tasting room manager and he has accepted.”

The crowd exploded, and the knot of people standing around Wedge closed in to congratulate him. Rey glanced at Ben, warmed by his reaction to the announcement. Wedge was well-loved among the staff as well, and had been with Skywalker as long as Sabine. He was the clear successor and everybody agreed.

“If I could say something,” Ben called for order, “with regards to hiring attendants, Wedge will hold the initial interviews. Second interviews will be conducted by the owners. So if you know somebody who would like to work here, the order of bribery goes Wedge, Rey, Poe, me.” He pointed all around.

One of the staff raised a hand for attention. “I got a question about hiring.” He took a deep breath and continued, “A former employee reached out to me, asking about openings. He was terminated a few years ago, but he claims it was a misunderstanding. Of course, Mr. Skywalker isn’t here to defend his decision, but my friend would like another chance. He really liked his job.”

Rey straightened in her seat, curious to hear Ben’s response. He looked down for a second, as though gathering his thoughts. Finally he said, “Well, I would have to confer with my partners on that, and Wedge. There’s nothing that says your friend can’t reapply for a job here, so if he wants to give it a shot…” he shrugged, “as for hiring him back, I suppose there has to be a consensus.”

The answer that wasn’t really an answer, but the worker seemed satisfied by it.

Poe stepped forward again. “One more thing. We are holding a sendoff for Sabine and Kay in a few weeks, so save the date when we know it. They want Twisted Sisters to cater, and of course the drinks are on us.” He turned to Ben. “Anything else?”

“That is all for now, thank you for coming. Check your emails later.” Ben took out his phone and stepped outside.

The meeting ended in applause, and those scheduled to work drifted off to their respective stations. Rey told Jannah and Zorii she’d meet them back at the inn, and lingered at the bar to soak in the jubilant atmosphere. Despite not yet hashing out her feelings with Ben on other matters, she had to admit he’d done well the first day. She saw smiling faces and relaxed postures, people coming away from this introduction with the optimistic view that Luke had placed his business in the right hands.

She saw Wedge separate from the crowd and walk into the back. She followed him into the employee lounge where he was collecting his jacket and shoulder bag.

“Hey, you. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, hon.” Wedge returned her hug. “Just goes to show persistence pays off. Another twenty or so years and maybe I’ll own a piece of this place, too.”

Rey pulled away and sat down. “I look forward to seeing who you recommend for work. I actually know somebody who wants to apply.”

“Tell ‘em to go for it.” Wedge pointed in the direction of the main room. “I think I know who Bill was talking about earlier. Remember Arnie, who was always late? Turned out he had health issues and was too embarrassed to bring it up. I don’t think Luke knew.”

“I think I remember him,” she said. “I’m curious to see how people interpret Ben’s answer. There are few ex-employees I don’t care to see back here.”

Wedge looked at her and nodded. “You and me both, hon. That Amilyn Holdo tops the list.”

“Ugh. She gave you grief, too?”

“Grief? That witch tried to get me fired.”

_Hello_. Rey scooted forward in her seat, at full attention. “Why? Luke adored you.”

Wedge’s expression darkened, and he looked reluctant to spill the tea. Nonetheless, he sat next to Rey. “I might as well tell you; it was ten years ago and I was dumb and thinking with my other head. I went out with her a few times and had come to the incorrect conclusion that she liked me back. We got a bit flirty at work, too, and one day I actually made out with her right here in this room.”

Rey’s heart vibrated, the sound pounding in her head. “Really?”

“It was the day she got fired, or maybe the next day, I can’t recall. Luke had come around to talk with her about her work performance and behavior, and all of a sudden she goes off and blames me for it. Said I was sexually harassing her on the clock and that I’d get her fired if she didn’t play ball. Somebody overheard and corroborated with me, then other people spoke up about her bullying them.”

Wedge let out a nervous laugh. “You should have seen it, Rey. It was ugly the way it went down. Ami called us all names and stormed out of here after Luke showed her the door.” He slapped his knees and stood. “Anyway, as long as I work here, she won’t ever again.”

Rey’s palms turned cold. She rubbed them on her arms to bring them back to life. “That was you I saw with her with, then.”

Wedge looked up from his phone, his face paling.

“I was using Luke’s computer that morning, passed by here, and saw…” Wedge. Wedge kissing Amilyn. Tall Wedge with his dark hair, wearing the same uniform as Ben that day. Similar build to Ben’s. Wedge with his face obscured, making it easy for Rey to mistake him for another man.

Ben was telling the truth all along.

“Shit, Rey,” Wedge said. “You saw that? I’m sorry. Well, come to think of it Ben _was_ here during all that. He hardly gave Ami the time of day, which I thought was weird because she was hot.” He shrugged. “Guess he knew something I didn’t.”

“Yeah.” She rose on rubber legs and took a breath to get her bearings. “I need to get back to the inn. I’ll see you around, Wedge.”


	19. Chapter 19

She exited through the front door, looking for Ben. He was pacing the loading bay, still on the phone and staring down at the business card in his other hand. She caught enough snippets of his side of the conversation to deduce he was talking to one of the Tico sisters, presumably to arrange for the party food.

Rey came down and waited by the golf cart until he looked up to see her. When he did he stopped pacing but stayed on the phone, saying “Uh-huh” every few seconds while Rose or Paige prattled on. He rolled his eyes and gestured with his free hand for the conversation to wrap up. It inspired a short laugh from Rey, though inside she wanted to wail.

All this time, she’d been mad at Ben for something he never did. She’d walked in on Amilyn and Wedge and assumed the worst of somebody who had defended her to a bully. She wondered if Ben ever said anything to Luke about that, and if Luke had dismissed his nephew’s notions as well.

Ben remained in place, still looking for an out of his call. The “Uh-huhs” became “Okays” and “Sures” and finally he thanked whichever Tico sister held him hostage and rang off. “My ear is ringing,” he told Rey. “You have time now to get the car?”

Rey couldn’t hear him for her own anguish. He was dressed for the day in the Skywalker uniform, and all she saw was the stitched-on logo on his breast, but in her mind’s eye it was covered in egg yolk and bits of broken shell.

“Ben.” Her voice quivered. “Ben, I am so sorry.”

His smile gone, he was over to her in two long strides just as the dam burst. “Rey? _Chérie, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? Ne pleure pas s'il te plaît._ ” He took her by the shoulders and steered her toward the employee entrance at the loading bay. As they turned Rey spotted a few staff looking their way with some concern, and she wondered if that was why Ben lapsed into French.

“This way,” he said once they were in the small warehouse area. She had an idea of where he was leading her. Luke had designed the winery buildings to connect, creating somewhat of a maze where employees could easily move from one place to another. Rey recognized their route, and soon Ben was unlocking the iron bar gate to the reserve cellar.

The Skywalker reserve cellar was actually above ground, but had the look of a dark, cool space hewn from a rock formation. It was dimly lit with stone walls and archways, and barrels filled with wine, stacked in two levels, lined the walls.

In the middle of the vast space, Luke had set up an intimate tasting area with a small bar and a Queen Anne sofa upholstered in red velvet. Club members, as part of their enrollment, enjoyed two barrel tastings a year in this space. Rey seldom came down here; she never had a reason for it. When Luke first brought her and Ahsoka here for the initial tour she was convinced the space was haunted.

Now, the atmosphere bothered her less, especially when Ben guided her to the sofa and sat next to her. His voice took on a gentle tone and he held both her hands in one of his.

“Rey, you scared the shit out of me. What happened? You were fine during the meeting.” Ben moved his head and leaned close when she tried to avoid his eyes. “Rey, look at me.”

No more French. They were alone now, and he wanted to make sure she understood he meant business.

Her tears dried in the cool air of the cellar. She felt sticky and tired and Ben’s shaving soap had become cloying, which saddened her. She never wanted to associate that scent with such a sad moment.

After a deep breath to center herself, she said, “First thing, I wasn’t completely honest with you this morning. You were babbling while you were drunk, but in English.”

“I know.”

She looked at him.

“I don’t remember everything I said, but bits and pieces are coming back,” he said. “I figure what I said must have been out of character for me if you felt the need to shield me from it.”

Rey wasn’t certain what was in character for Ben. “We say things when we’re impaired...we don’t always mean them. I thought it better to leave it alone.”

After a beat, he added, “I get that you might be upset about something else.”

“I kept asking you about ten years ago, when I thought you were fooling around with one of the staff.”

“And I kept saying that wasn’t true. I recall that much,” he said. His gaze never left hers.

“The day I threw the egg at you...I was in Luke’s office that morning and I walked in on Amilyn Holdo making out with a guy. From the back he looked like…”

Ben got it. His hand loosened on hers and he leaned back on the couch.

“You assumed I was upset about a fox getting into the pen and taking one of the chickens,” she said. “That added to my misery that day, but the idea you’d make out with Amilyn after you saw how she treated me was the spark. Losing Luna only fueled it.”

“Then I said the p-word and you let me have it,” Ben said. “Rey, I am so sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything, Ben. Wedge told me he kissed her in the lounge. I made a mistake.”

“I dismissed your pain, Rey. If I had gone to Luke about Amilyn the day I caught her ragging on you, he might have fired her sooner and prevented that whole mess.” Ben sat up straighter. “Instead I was thinking about a thousand different things and your problem with Amilyn dropped off my radar.”

“It’s okay,” Rey said, and twisted in her seat to face him. “It’s because I couldn’t tell you and Wedge apart from the back that a lot of ill feelings avalanched. I…” she sniffed back hard, “I heard you and Luke talking in the kitchen afterward. You blamed yourself for the fox getting into the pen.”

Ben nodded slowly, as though remembering.

“Then you moved into the inn. I acted coldly when you left for France. I resented you for years because I thought you were like every other adult at the winery, treating me like a kid.”

His gaze met hers again. “You _were_ a kid. You were thirteen, fourteen years old.”

“Yes, eventually I realized that, but my resentment remained not so much because you didn’t ‘notice’ me that summer,” she bent her fingers in air quotes, “but that I was convinced you didn’t really have my back when it came to Amilyn. She was closer to your age, and pretty…”

“And you thought I was thinking with my dick,” Ben said. “You said you were eavesdropping that night. You didn’t hear me tell Uncle Luke about when you went to get the Cokes?”

She shook her head. “I’d gone back upstairs.”

“Well I did bring it up. A bit late, but it’s true. I was there when he confronted her about that. She said Wedge had told her you weren’t supposed to be in the employee-only areas of the winery.” He rested his elbows on his knees. “She tried to blame Wedge for a lot of things, and that’s when Uncle Luke realized he should have listened to you."

"Thank you for that."

“As for not ‘noticing’ you,” he continued, “you’re right, I didn’t. I wasn’t supposed to, and I don’t regret that because you were underage. You needed to be around people your own age.”

“Try telling that to a fourteen-year-old.”

Ben laughed. “Only my mother and Uncle Luke knew this at the time, but there was an ulterior motive for my coming here that summer. I wanted to get away because I had broken up with my college girlfriend. She gave me an ultimatum: her or France.”

“I’d say you chose wisely.” That silly girl would never hear Ben whisper sweet words to her in that beautiful language.

He nodded with some enthusiasm. “I was still hung up on her the whole summer, though. Amilyn Holdo could’ve come to work naked and I wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.” Ben tilted his head. “You ought to be relieved I’m not a pervert.”

“Jannah actually asked me this morning if you tried to groom me.”

“For fuck’s sake.” He buried his face in his hands for a moment and inhaled deep on the way back up. “You know, flying out here, I wasn’t saying to myself, ‘Wow, I can’t wait to get to Virginia because Rey’s legal now and I can finally fuck her.’ I have never harbored those thoughts.”

Rey squeezed her hands together. Apart, they trembled.

“Then again, when I saw you in front of the tasting room, all irritated and shivering, dressed like a movie star…” Ben took on a dreamy expression. “I couldn’t believe the transformation. I told you yesterday we aren’t the same people we were a decade ago.” He turned serious. “I look at you now, I don’t see a fourteen-year-old girl any more than you see a scrawny sixteen-year-old boy in overalls when you look at me.”

“No, you’re right.”

“I won’t lie to you, Rey. I’m very attracted to you now.”

Rey thanked every deity she could name off the top of her head. “The feeling is mutual.”

“I don’t want to fuck this up, either,” he said. “I’ve had my heart broken enough times that the thought of getting back on the merry-go-round scares me. And I know I’ve been attentive to you since I got here, but in a way there’s something familiar and comforting about it.”

He looked around the cellar, and Rey followed his gaze to where it fell on the tasting bar, the many barrels, the wrought-iron chandeliers. “Maybe it’s this place, the winery in general,” he added. “Uncle Luke had the two great loves of his life here. You’d hope that good fortune would rub off on you.”

Ben had his hands in his lap. Rey reached for one and he twined her fingers with his. “He once told me he thought the cellar was the most romantic spot in the winery, that he brought Ahsoka here for dates.”

“Really? I never knew that,” she said.

Ben looked down at their joined hands. His thumb stroked her skin, and set off a myriad of shivers. “I think he was right.”

He lifted his free hand and cupped her cheek, then leaned in to slant his mouth over hers. Rey parted her lips, eager to receive what Ben gave. But he remained soft and quiet and almost yielding. Kissers from her past -- and so few existed -- had acted starved and crammed their tongues into her mouth as though to give her teeth a thorough scraping. Ben acted chaste by comparison.

Sense five. Taste. Rey craved more of it.

His kiss was tender, cautious. Rey felt the tip of his tongue tuck just under her upper lip and trace from one side to the other, down across her lower lip and back around again. He let go of her hand, bringing his to the other side of her face, cradling her.

Their first kiss was nothing like she expected, but everything she wanted.

Ben pursed his lips and broke it off, ending with a quick peck on the corner of her mouth. “Now,” he said, touching his forehead to hers, “doesn’t that feel much better than crying?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Chérie, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? Ne pleure pas s'il te plaît. - "Honey, what's wrong? Please don't cry."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/30/21 - As of the today, the story is completed - a total of ~70k words. It's my goal to post 3-4 chapters at a time as they are polished.
> 
> Content notes: talk of virginity, HIV testing

Rey gave a shuddering laugh and easily fell against him. With every deep breath she regained her calm and control of her senses. The touch of Ben’s hands rubbing her back brought her to a happy place. They had kissed! Ben’s holding her this time was borne of affection, not sympathy. The savory-sweet scent of him applied to a joyful moment once again.

“Rey, if you’re willing, I would like to explore this and see where we go,” he said. “But I suggest we go slowly, since there is much more at stake here than two hearts.”

“I understand.” He meant Skywalker. So many people depended on their conducting business together in a level-headed manner. Though, Luke had no trouble being Ahsoka’s boss and lover at the same time. Why not them? “I’ve been such a bitch to everybody since Luke died, especially you. I’m sorry.”

“You were scared. I get it,” Ben said, kissing the top of her head. “A lot of changes are going on here, but some of them will be great. I promise.”

She held on tighter, relieved she hadn’t fucked up entirely before they could begin.

“I didn’t think to ask Poe,” he added, “if Uncle Luke ever enforced a ‘no fraternization’ policy.”

“He didn’t.” Rey’s voice was muffled against his chest, but she wasn’t ready to pull away. “He said it wouldn’t be fair, since Ahsoka worked for him. Anyway, Kay and Beau were both working here when they got together.”

“Good. I’d have lifted such a rule anyway.”

Ben’s phone rang out a calypso beat and he cursed. Rey sensed his reluctance as he pulled away. “That’s Poe,” he said, checking the screen, “probably wondering where the hell I am.” He stood, answered, and began the conversation.

Rey leaned back against the sofa, still dazed by their connection. She focused on the chandelier swaying slightly above them. A heavy iron circle, suspended from a thick black chain, held half a dozen incandescent tubular light bulbs. The fixture added to the Gothic atmosphere of the cellar, and Rey understood why people liked to come here for special tastings. You came away with the impression you had starred in a classic movie.

Ben’s voice broke into her reverie. He was arranging a meeting with Poe to discuss new trade show equipment for the wine festival circuit. “When is the next event? That soon. Okay, we may have to make do with what we have. Let’s talk about it around three. Sure.”

After he rang off he extended his hand for Rey to take. “Would you like to get some lunch after we return the car? It might be the only chance we have to spend time together today. I won’t be around for dinner.”

“No?”

“I’m taking Mom out, just the two of us. You can guess she’s not taking this pending separation well.”

A sweet gesture on Ben’s part, and Rey couldn’t deny it for him. “That’s fine. Jannah and Zorii’s overtime ends today, too, so I need to transition back to my old work schedule.” Ben still had his hand out to her. “Could I have a minute or two alone first? We can take Luke’s truck; I’ll meet you there.”

“Sure.” He pulled his key ring out and handed them over, indicating she should lock up on the way out. “We need to get you a set,” he added, and bent down for one more kiss. “Don’t be too long. I may come back and look for you.”

Tempting, but Rey only required a short moment to process everything. With Ben gone, she stretched out on the sofa and rubbed her face against the soft velvet fabric. It was softer than Ben’s work-roughened hands, but now it was her second favorite sensation of the day.

When Ben had lingered in her teenage mind, he existed merely as a fantasy. When he left for France, she believed it truly was _adieu_.

Never had she felt so relieved to be wrong about something.

She stretched on the sofa, sighing. _It’s happening._

***

Rey texted Ahsoka to let her know of her whereabouts for the next few hours. She’d come straight to the inn afterward to assist the crew. They were looking at a full house the weekend after everybody left, plus a couple coming in the following Wednesday, and there was work to do.

Ben had his back to the passenger door of Luke’s truck. He was idly scrolling on his phone when she approached and tossed him his keys. He pocketed everything and took both her hands, pulling her in for a long kiss.

“This is dangerous,” he then said. “I want to kiss you every time I see you.”

“I don’t mind. I doubt anybody else would, either.”

Ben got in on the passenger side and waited for her to take the wheel. “Down the road, maybe. Some people here have known me for years, but I’ve been co-owner for a day.” He slumped against the window and regarded her. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m ashamed, I'm not. I just don’t --”

“Want to fuck up. I understand, Ben. Let’s be discreet for now.” She turned out of the main driveway, heading for The Cantina. “I’m kind of relieved to hear you say it. This is pretty new for me as well.”

“How so?”

Rey kept her eyes on the road. How to tell him? “Let’s just say I haven’t been around the block. I really haven’t been down the street.”

“I see.” Ben nodded in her peripheral vision. “Well, I suppose it’s all relative. I mean, one’s experience isn’t the same as --”

“Ben, I’m still a virgin.”

That was the only way to tell him, she decided.

Silence, stretching for seconds. Rey gripped the steering wheel, fixed on the road.

“That is, I’ve done some stuff, but I haven’t gone all the way with another person. I’ve always been focused on one thing, helping to run the inn,” she said. “It will be mine one day, and to be honest the men around here never really appealed --”

“Rey, pull over for a sec.”

“Why?” she asked. What would happen? Did he plan to get out and walk back?

“Because we’re doing seventy in a thirty-five and you’re coming too close on that semi for my comfort.”

Now she heard the high-pitched buzz of the acceleration. “Oh, jeez, sorry,” she said, and slowed to pull into the bay of a closed-down gas station. She killed the engine and Ben took her hand.

“Breathe, Rey.”

They sat silently in the cab, holding hands until Rey’s heart rate relaxed. She stole several glances at him in this time; he kept a straight expression that seemed neither to pity her nor tease. He stroked the same spot on her hand with this thumb, that soft place between her thumb and forefinger, like in the cellar. It worked to calm her.

“Better?” he asked. When she nodded, he offered to drive.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Why are you nervous?” he asked. “Every time you’re around me, you’ve either been annoyed or upset or nervous or drunk. I just want you to be happy.”

That made her laugh. At least he didn’t say bitchy, and he’d have been right. “I don’t know, Ben. I had ten years of resentment for you lifted off my chest in one morning, and seeing you after so long had me running hot and cold.” She smiled at him. “France was very good to you.”

“In more ways than one,” he said. “You’re twenty-four now?”

“In October.”

He let go of her hand and steepled his fingers. “I was twenty-four when it happened.”

“When what happened?” They locked gazes for a moment and Rey read the revelation in his expression. “Yeah?”

“That’s right. The whole summer I was here, I stayed a virgin, too. My first time was in France.”

A series of trucks blew past on the main road. Rey felt the impact of air rocking the cab. “You had a girlfriend in college,” she said.

“Who wanted to wait for her wedding night. I was fine with that. She wasn’t fine with being separated for two years. _C'est la vie_.” Ben shrugged.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. She wasn’t the one.”

_Am I?_ Too soon to ask. “I think I can get us to The Cantina in one piece,” Rey said. She started the engine, checked for traffic, and eased back onto the road.

“If they’re open, let’s have lunch there first. Minus the booze.”

“Sure.”

Ben touched her shoulder and stroked his fingers down her arm. “Rey, this won’t be the most romantic thing I’ll say to you,” he said, “but I want to prove that you will always be safe with me. After we drop off the car, let’s stop at a drugstore. I’ll get an HIV home test and take it in front of you.”

At the next stop sign she braked and looked at him. “You’re sure you want to do that?”

“Best to know now, right? We don’t know what’s in store for us, but we’ll at least have peace of mind. I’ve been tested before, but I want you to know for certain.”

“You’re right. It’s not very romantic.” Rey smiled. “But it’s practical and I appreciate it. If I give you some money, get one for me? This goes both ways.”

Ben straightened up in his seat. “Tell you what. You buy lunch, I’ll buy the hardware.”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. C'est la vie - "That's life."


	21. Chapter 21

Their second meal at The Cantina passed more amiably than the first. Sobriety made a big difference. Ben mentioned the company email was already receiving inquiries for the attendant positions, the power of fast word of mouth, yet fewer bites for the sales job.

“Everybody wants to be an attendant around here. It’s the dream job for retirees and people starting out in wine. From what I hear, Skywalker offers more incentives to employees, so yeah, people are always inquiring,” Rey said. “Jannah actually applied at Skywalker first, but Luke recommended her to Ahsoka for the inn. Better fit.”

“Wedge said you knew somebody interested in work. Did you mean that pizza waitress, because she sent me a resume.” Ben signaled for the check with a credit card.

“I thought lunch was on me.”

He winked. “We talked about work. It’s a business lunch now.”

Rey finished her tea, then, “My friend is Jyn Erso, Galen Erso’s daughter. She’s not happy at her current job.”

“Is she the girl you kissed?” Ben gained a greater interest in the conversation.

“How about we table any talk of our sexual histories for test time? Seems more appropriate, you think?”

Ben gave a mock pout, and Rey’s stomach fluttered at the sight of his pushed-out lower lip. Not long ago he had it pressed to her mouth…

“I think so, yes,” he said. “I want to be as transparent as possible. If I get back at a decent hour I want to do it tonight.” The slip arrived and he signed it.

They stood to leave. “Why rush? We have time.”

“I know.” He laid down a few bills for the tip. “Let’s not waste it worrying.”

***

Further orientation with Poe kept Ben away for the remainder of the day. Rey immersed herself in work, starting with her cleaning schedule for tomorrow’s mass checkout. She realized, too, she had neglected the inn’s social accounts, and spent a good hour updating each platform and answering comments from regulars who had left condolences on Luke’s passing.

Ahsoka sent Zorii and Jannah home, no arguments, and Rey helped her prepare for the hospitality hour. They opted for simple this evening with a _crudité_ platter and a gift of one reserve release for each guest. Rey stayed on to join in the conversation, which turned bittersweet at times with memories of Luke. Much as she loved everybody in the room, each of whom had a special connection with Luke, she waited with the hope of seeing Ben even for a few minutes.

By the top of the hour, Leia was constantly checking her watch. Rey’s heart panged for the older woman. Her time with her only child was growing short. Everybody had early flights out, and naturally Leia wanted to make every remaining minute count.

Rey sat next to her. “I’m sure he’s on his way.”

“He is. I just got a text. It’s a Skywalker trait, overwork,” she said. “Not one of our best ones, if you ask me.”

“I can relate. Luke used to come home at all hours when we first moved into the house. It took a few heated discussions before he compromised with a manageable schedule.”

“I’m glad Luke was able to condition himself. Not so with our father. Anakin Skywalker worked himself to death. It was all he knew after my mother died.” Leia took on a faraway expression, looking back into those memories. She clasped Rey’s hand. “The problem sometimes with a job you love is that’s all you do. There are other things just as important, Rey. Don’t lie on your deathbed regretting you spent so much time on the clock. Adjust your schedule now.”

Having read Luke’s letter about Leia selling her share of Alderaan, Rey understood. The idea of leaving Ben here hurt because Leia had devoted more time to her father’s legacy, just as Anakin had done, to his children’s detriment. Rey wondered if Leia’s workaholic life had also factored into her divorce.

_I kissed your son today._ This wasn’t the right time to say it, but she hoped Leia would be accepting of her and Ben together. A future with Ben might be the key to dialing back from work.

Ben should want that as well. Right now, though, everything was new and everybody needed him.

When he arrived through the back door, he looked worn out. Rey sent him a sympathetic smile, assuming he’d much rather order in dinner than get dressed for a night out. Nonetheless, he walked to his mother and laid a kiss on the top of her head.

“Give me ten to change and I’ll be right out,” he said.

Ben then moved toward Rey. Her eyes widened when she realized he was about to lean in for a kiss. Right here, in front of everybody.

“Did you and Poe figure out the trade show setup?” she asked, standing up to put space between them. Ben halted, his hands on the back of the sofa, looking like a frightened bird with all eyes on him. He’d realized his near slip, and smiled at Rey in thanks.

“Not quite. We were actually giving thought to skipping the booth at Montpelier,” he said. He was referring to the annual wine festival held at the historic home of President Madison.

“You shouldn’t skip events, Ben,” Leia chided him. “It’s not what Luke would want.”

“Luke wouldn’t want a shabby setup to represent Skywalker, either,” he countered. “We had a look at what’s in storage. Everything is either thread-worn or outdated. Poe and I were thinking maybe we do Montpelier as tourists and recon how the other wineries look.”

Leia held up a hand. “Ben, I’m sorry. It’s your business now. I will not interfere, but I am starved.”

Ben smiled at his mother, and nodded around to the other guests before ducking out. “Seven minutes. Time me.”

His return in a dark suit and white shirt, with a pinstripe tie, earned a few whistles and compliments. He cleaned up well, and Rey longed to mess him up again, starting with his hair.

“Ben, before you go I have something for you. I wanted for Leia to see it.” Ahsoka took a small box from her pocket. Ben opened it and displayed Anakin’s sapphire ring.

“It’s beautiful, Ben, just like I remember. Try it on to see if it fits,” Leia said, pride evident in her voice. “Your grandfather never finished high school, though it had been a dream of his. He learned the trade hands-on. My grandmother gave him this as a ‘graduation’ gift of sorts.”

Indeed, the ring resembled the collegiate style. Rey hung back to let everybody look first. Ben took off his UC Davis ring but found Anakin’s a bit tight. “I’ll take it somewhere and get it resized. Thank you for this,” he said, and replaced the ring in its box.

“I’ll take it back to the house for you,” Rey said. She came forward and held out her hand. Ben covered the box with his hand, giving it to her. The mere touch ignited the nerve endings under her skin.

“Something blue,” he said, and her body tightened. Was that a hint?

***

Eleven p.m. Ahsoka had retired hours earlier. Rey changed into her flannel pajamas at nine, broke down and drank a half-caff at ten, and told herself at eleven she’d give Ben half an hour more before heading to bed herself. She craved sleep. Jannah and Zorii resumed their afternoon schedules tomorrow, leaving Rey and Ahsoka to handle breakfast in addition to the laundry and other chores.

That, on top of moving Ben into this house -- though Rey looked forward to that. Ahsoka had informed her at dinner that Ben intended to take back the room he’d used during his last stay. The spacious guest room was situated opposite Rey’s, and a Jack and Jill bathroom separated them. Rey snuggled in her robe on the living room couch, watching random Youtube baking hack videos on the Roku and remembering the arrangement from years ago.

Fourteen-year-old Rey had been annoyed by Ben monopolizing the shower and taking forever to shave with his antiquated safety razors and lather cup. Now, she looked forward to secret knocks and meeting him halfway for stolen morning and goodnight kisses.

Five minutes after eleven, her phone buzzed. _Can I come over?_ read his text.

_It’s your house. You don’t need permission._

Speech bubbles percolated, then, _I need a key. Ahsoka hasn’t given me one yet. :-)_

Rey shed the robe and padded to the back kitchen door. The security light illuminated; she opened the door to Ben standing just outside the enclosed back porch. He’d changed out of his suit and into a white tee and plaid pajama pants.

She unlatched the screen door, and saw he held the large white plastic bag from today’s trip.

“Is Ahsoka still up?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: STD testing, Ben and Rey discuss their sexual histories

He stepped forward and captured her open mouth in a deep, searing kiss. Rey turned boneless at the sensation of Ben’s tongue exploring her, and she willed the strength to get her arms around him. Despite its intensity the kiss was too short for her liking. This time, though, Ben let his mouth slide down to plant small kisses along her jawbone and neck before coming up for air.

“Is it wrong that I spent that entire dinner thinking about you?” he asked.

“Depends on what you were thinking,” Rey said once she caught her voice. Ben said nothing at first, only delivered a devilish grin.

“Wanna put some shoes on? I thought we’d go for a walk.” He nodded toward the winery.

“You want to do this in the tasting room?” Strange, but Rey was walking back into the house to get her slip-on Vans.

“Fewer bodies there,” he said when she returned. “Here or at the inn, we risk waking up somebody. Besides, it’s a nice night.”

No arguments there. This night was much warmer compared to Wednesday’s party. Despite the security lighting on all three major points of the property, the stars in the cloudless sky were visible. Their walk along the winding gravel driveway might have been more romantic without the specter of a pending disease test hanging over it.

Ben kept his arm around her waist as they walked. “You ever walk out here at night?”

“Not always,” Rey said. “There are black bears in the mountains. I haven’t seen one in years, but the risk remains.”

“Poe said you all do a decent job keeping the critters out of the vines.”

“Is that a problem at Alderaan?”

Ben laughed. “Oh, yes. My parents used to fight about it. Mom preferred to use the most humane methods of wildlife control available. Dad’s answer was to stake out the acreage with a shotgun.”

“What’s your method?” she asked as he unlocked the front door.

“Whatever doesn’t spoil the produce.”

Ben typed in the security code on the alarm at the entrance and raised the lights at the main tasting station. The bag held four small boxes, which he divided between them. “They have separate ones for HIV and other STDs,” he’d explained when they visited the drugstore earlier. “Might as well take the full panel.”

Rey read the backside of one box. Twenty minutes for accurate results. “These reruns Ahsoka watches on Roku,” she said, “a character goes to a clinic and doesn’t get results for three days. Now you can test yourself before breakfast.”

“If only the cures came so easily,” Ben said. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Following the instructions on each package, they swabbed the insides of their mouths and set the applicators into their respective vials of solution. Ben set his phone alarm and led Rey toward the unlit fireplace. “No sense watching them. Let’s sit a bit.”

“And grill each other on our sex lives; or, in my case, lack thereof.” Rey took one end of the sofa. “Yeah, that sounds quite relaxing.”

Ben sat back on the opposite end and beckoned Rey closer. “Let me help. Come here.”

Rey slid over and Ben took her in his arms. He pulled her so that she rested with her back against his chest, and he folded his hands over her abdomen. He had a solid build yet she hardly felt uncomfortable in this position. She laid her head in the crook of one arm and tilted her face up to receive another kiss.

“Better?” he asked afterward. “I want wherever we are to be a safe space for you, Rey. You can tell me anything, but you decide how much you want to share right now. I’m an open book, like I told you last night. I’ll be completely honest with you.”

“Okay, but there’s really not much to tell on my side,” Rey said. “You excluded, I’ve kissed a grand total of three guys.”

“And one girl.”

“And one girl,” Rey echoed. “You will just burn until I spill that tea, huh?”

She shook in Ben’s arms as he laughed. “Sorry. I still think it’s hot.” He closed his eyes as if to picture it.

“Well, it’s nobody you know, maybe not yet. I went to a frat party and a friend and I only did it to mess with their heads,” Rey said. Later, she learned her kissing partner ended up with the fraternity’s president.

“Fair enough. What do you want to know from me?”

She shrugged, but had a question at the ready. “How many sex partners have you had?”

“Only two.”

_Two more than me._ “So...your first time, but what about your three-way buddies?”

“I’m only counting the woman in that one. That was strictly MFM, and in retrospect I wouldn’t do it again,” he said.

“It didn’t live up to the hype?”

Ben shifted his seat and put a leg on the adjacent coffee table. He twined his fingers with Rey’s when her hand came down on his. “I heard somebody say once that a _ménage_ is the act of introducing your current lover to her next lover. I didn’t believe it, but that’s basically what happened. They live in Portland now and I haven’t spoken to either of them in years.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. She wasn’t the one.”

“How did it even happen?”

“Too much wine, and poor decision making,” Ben said.

Ah. “Why wasn’t your first ‘the one’ either?”

Ben paused a moment, and Rey wondered if she’d overstepped. Ben did say ask anything, and it made sense to put all of this information out there if they intended to have a relationship beyond business.

“My first time,” he began, “was with an older woman, nearly twice my age. You wouldn’t have known it to look at her, though. Her name was Marguerite. She was friends with my host family.”

Rey listened as the story unraveled like a romantic foreign movie. Marguerite’s husband had left her for a younger woman, and she frequented the winery to drown her sorrows. Ben spoke with her in English because she wanted to learn the language, and over time a friendship bloomed. A few months in, she took a very willing Ben Solo to bed.

“It didn’t last,” he added, now fiddling with his college ring. “I think she wanted some reassurance that she was still attractive and capable of seducing some young stud. Maybe the idea of teaching me to make love helped. It made her dominant.” He gave a hollow laugh. “I gave that to her, and she moved on.”

“And you haven’t spoken to her since?” Rey’s body chilled. What if the woman changed her mind and decided to hop on a plane one day? She probably looked like Catherine Deneuve or some other French cinema goddess.

“She died. Not long after I came home.” Ben’s voice sounded far away. “I didn’t know she was sick.”

“Maybe she didn’t want anybody feeling bad for her. Maybe she wanted to spare you the grief.” Rey’s heart panged with guilt over her unfounded fears. She hadn’t known Marguerite but was now sorry they’d never meet. She had nobody to thank for helping Ben become the man holding her now.

“One way to look at it,” Ben agreed. “Anyway, I had no regrets there.”

“We can talk about something else. Or not talk at all…”

Ben moved his hand up Rey’s bare arm, erupting shivers where he touched. “I’ve pretty much said everything about my past. Unless you want to volunteer more information on you.”

Rey lacked a Marguerite-like story. “Nothing worth repeating. A handful of dates. Some kisses and petting.”

“Has anybody ever given you an orgasm?”

“No, they’ve all been self-inflicted.”

He laughed. “Toys?”

“A few.” Rey had owned a variety of bullet vibes over the years, and usually kept one dildo. Never a large one, and she said as much.

“Good to know,” Ben said. “If you don’t mind my asking, what would you expect in a lover...size wise?”

She shifted to look at him. He was genuinely curious; no mocking expression. “I haven’t considered it. I mean, the average size is about five inches, right, and people here are pretty average.”

“Can I show you something?”

_Please._ Rey let Ben guide her to recline against him on her side in order to see more of his body. Manipulating her for the best angle, he then took her hand and slid it under the waistband of his pajamas pants. He wasn’t wearing underwear. Rey, with his help, raked her fingers through his patch of pubic hair and deeper down between his thighs. They stopped at the base of his cock.

“Go on,” he said. Rey took hold of his prick and danced her fingers along his velvet-like skin, making note of length.

This was him in “sleep mode.” Rey then understood what it meant for when Ben got hard.

“Wow,” she said.

“Yeah.” He reached in to take back her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I don’t brag, but I am, as they say, blessed.”

_Amen._

Ben reached over and cupped her cheek. “So, if and when we do make love, you will decide the time. It has to happen when you are ready, and I won’t refuse you.”

“Okay.” Rey figured she had been ready since their first dance. Hell, before that when he emerged from the darkness of the parking lot, cutting into her soul with his appraisal. Yes, she fought it, but it was almost as though something divine had preordained that moment, putting both of them in an unavoidable yet desired position.

She lay here with him, knowing how easily she could slip her hand back into his pajamas and stroke him to full erect length. Would he grow thicker as well? With the winery doors locked, and everybody asleep in other houses. Nobody to come upon them…

For now, Rey chose to explore points further north. As much as she anticipated the first sensation of Ben moving inside her, she longed to familiarize herself with the rest of his body. She crept her hand under his t-shirt, touching hard abdominal ridges under soft, smooth skin.

Ben sucked in a breath but said nothing. He only watched her, as though fascinated.

Walking her fingers upward, she brushed her thumb over one stiffened nipple and wondered if it might give a bit if she sucked it between her teeth…

Tubular bells broke the spell, and Ben gently lifted her to sit. That fucking alarm. “Sorry to interrupt, _chérie._ It’s the moment of truth.”

Rey swallowed and took a deep breath before following him to the bar. She noticed the slight stiffness in his gait on the short walk.

They inspected the indicators on all four testing sticks. “All negative,” Ben said. “We are good to go.”

_Good. Let’s fuck._ “I’m ready now.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Rey…”

“I’m serious. You said --”

“How are you fixed for birth control? Because I didn’t bring anything. I don’t mean here; I didn’t pack rubbers for my uncle’s will reading.”

Well, hell. She used nothing because her current circumstances hadn’t called for it. Years ago, Ahsoka suggested she get a prescription for pills, even if to help regulate her period, but Rey never bothered with follow-through.

“If you want me to get some --”

“No,” she cut in, “you made a good point. This has to go right. I need to explore my options.” She looked past him through the windows, and barely made out the outline of the inn in the distance. All remained still and quiet. “But I’m not ready to go to bed yet. Could we stay here a bit and talk more, like you wanted?”

“Sure. We have some time.” Ben gathered the test kits and their containers into the shopping bag and tied off the handles. They returned to their reclining position on the sofa, where Rey found she fit nicely against him. Lighting the fireplace might have made for a romantic touch, but laying together in the dark also appealed.

Ben held her and stroked her hair, and they lay together, their voices soft and light as they opened up their hearts and their worlds to each other.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: use of a safety razor

Somewhere on the other side of the veil that separated the dream from the waking life, haunting notes from a piano pulled Rey from the deep. It was Ben, however, who roused her with urgency.

“Rey, wake up.” He rubbed her arms to stimulate her nerves.

“Mmm.” Ben was too warm and comfortable for her to want to separate. His chest beat any pillow she’d ever owned. “Why?”

“It’s four-thirty. We fell asleep,” he said.

His heart beat fast against her ear. Her eyes shot open. Ahsoka had warned her about the early day. The shuttle was coming at six to collect everybody and she was reporting to work at five to help with checkout.

“Fuck!” She leaped from the sofa and hunted down her shoes. “You think anybody noticed we’re gone?”

Ben righted his pajama pants and shoved his feet into his sneakers without untying them. He grabbed his phone and silenced the alarm. “Knowing my mom, she’s been up since three. That can’t be helped, but I’ll think of an excuse.” He snatched up the bag and pointed Rey to the door. “You go on. I’ll dump this and lock up.”

“Right.” It wouldn’t do to be seen leaving together, in the event Uncle Owen or somebody decided on a super early morning stroll. First, she rushed to Ben and reached up for a quick kiss. “Good morning,” she said.

“Go,” he whispered, smiling.

Despite coming into the day with only a few hours of sleep in the tank, Rey marveled at how her energy spiked. She ran all the way back to the house, slowing as she approached the back porch. The screen door was still unlocked, and she saw no activity in the kitchen, nor did she detect the aroma of coffee. Quietly she slipped inside and kicked off her shoes before taking the stairs.

Ahsoka’s door was closed but Rey heard music from within. The morning rituals had begun,and Rey relaxed knowing she’d managed to slide under her mother’s radar. After a quick shower and change, she met Ahsoka in the kitchen for coffee.

“I’m going to miss Leia. It was so nice having her here. All of them,” Ahsoka was saying as she wiped down the coffee maker. “With Ben living here now, maybe she’ll visit more often.”

“Maybe Christmas.”

“Hopefully before that.”

Rey set her half-full mug in the sink. “Ahsoka, did Luke ever mention to you that Leia was planning to sell her part of Alderaan?”

“He did, and Leia, too. The other night at dinner.” Ahsoka looked up from her phone. “Did Ben tell you?”

“No, Luke did,” Rey said. “In that last letter you gave me. He wrote that Leia and Han were butting heads over the business.” She paused, then, “I wonder why Ben hasn’t said anything about it.”

“It’s not really our business, is it? It’s not really Ben’s, either,” Ahsoka said. “He worked there, but Leia and Han are the ultimate decision makers. For now, at least. Maybe he doesn’t know the details and doesn’t want to burden us.”

Or he no longer had interest. Two days in as owner, and Ben’s deep dive proved his commitment to Skywalker. He no doubt had a full day planned with Poe, but she hoped he’d carved out some time to get settled in the house.

“You really don’t know what’s in the other letters Luke wrote for me?” she asked.

“I don’t.” Ahsoka opened the back door and ushered Rey out. “Just as I can’t predict what’s in the ones he left me. Mine are scheduled out, too.”

“Really?” Rey perked up. “What did his last one say?”

Ahsoka winked. “It’s private.”

***

“Mom, you’re going to make everybody late.”

Big as Ben was, he genuinely looked as though he had to work to release himself from his mother’s embrace. Rey and Ahsoka had laid out a modest continental breakfast for their guests, and as the WineBot bus pulled into the main entrance the goodbyes increased in emotion.

Ben Kenobi kissed Rey on both cheeks. “Next time we’re all together, I hope it’s for a happier occasion,” he said. “Like a wedding?”

_If only…_ “I’ll see what I can do, but you come back anytime. I’ll save a room.”

He smiled and boarded the bus with Mace Windu following. Only Leia remained on solid ground, wiping away tears as Artoo loaded her bags.

“I’m sorry. I told myself I wouldn’t become a hot mess. Too many changes in a short time…” She reached up to hold her son’s face. “You will do amazing here. I’ll text you from the layover and when I land at home.”

Rey stood back and watched their tender goodbye. Leia then hugged Ahsoka and her.

“Keep him in line,” Leia whispered in her ear, and patted Rey’s back. “Don’t take any shit from him, either.”

“I won’t. I love you.” Rey laughed. “Have a safe trip.”

They waved off the bus, standing in place as it rumbled off the property, onto the main road, and out of sight. Ahsoka let out a long breath. “Okay, girl,” she one-arm hugged Rey, “let’s get to work.”

“I’ll help,” Ben said. “I’m not due at work for a while yet.”

Ahsoka, though expressing gratitude for the offer, marveled at his energy. “I hope you don’t crash later,” she said, and went inside.

“I could fly,” he said in a quiet voice meant only for Rey.

With the extra hands, the innkeepers stripped sheets, cleaned bathrooms, and had the inn check-in ready in good time. “Thank you for helping, Ben. I hadn’t planned to open bookings for today, but we had a few calls come in last night. Rooms are at a premium right now.” Ahsoka checked her phone. “Naboo and Yavin are taken for this weekend. It wouldn’t surprise me if we fill up. Jannah and Zorii were given a heads up for when they come in.”

All that remained for now was moving Ben’s luggage into the house. Ben remarked how little the room had changed since he stayed there last. “It’s fine,” he added. “It’s nice to come back to something familiar.”

“Whatever you don’t want in here, let me know,” Ahsoka said. Her face took on a melancholy expression. “I haven’t begun to go through Luke’s things to determine what to donate. I figured you two might want to sort out a few items first.”

The guest room had so few personal items anyway. Modest decor: bed, lamps, dresser and a few photos of the winery taken back in the day. Ben mentioned he might get new sheets to suit his style and asked only for one thing for now. “I wouldn’t mind having a picture of Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara, if you have one.”

Ahsoka nodded, smiling. “I know just the one,” she said, and left.

That left Rey and Ben alone in the room together. Too tempted to kiss, Rey hung back for fear of being caught. “What was she like?” she asked him.

“She was awesome, what I remember of her. When I was younger it was easier for my mother and I to come up and visit. Aunt Mara was always baking something. She’d spoil you rotten if you let her.”

Ahsoka returned with a framed desk photo of young Luke and Mara leaning against a convertible. “I remember that car,” he said, smiling. “He drove us all over Albemarle County in it. I got to drive it a few times that visit, after she died…”

Rey saw the memories making him misty-eyed, and she longed to hold him. Whether Ahsoka might view such a gesture as consoling, however, she wasn’t certain. She hated being this close and unable to touch him.

Suddenly, it went away and he looked up. “We don’t have to discuss this in depth now, but what do you think about renovations?”

“Like what?” Ahsoka asked.

“This bathroom, for one.” Ben grabbed his kit and walked in. “I’d like to update the fixtures, make better use of the space.” He turned to Rey. “I recall last time we shared this bathroom it wasn’t all that ideal.”

“When I got to use it,” Rey said, teasing. “I don’t know what you were doing in there --”

The doorbell sounded. Odd for so early in the morning, but Ahsoka perked up. “Lord, I forgot Din was making a delivery today.” She excused herself and rushed off.

Ben counted from one, slowly, in a quiet voice. When they both heard a door shut he beckoned Rey into the bathroom, closed his door behind her, and pressed her against it.

Rey clamped her thighs around his leg as they kissed, riding him lightly. How long were they supposed to play the roommate game before she clawed down the connecting doors and ravaged him in the night? “We may have to dial it back,” she said when they broke free. “This is enough to drive me mad.”

“As opposed to never kissing you?”

“Good point.”

Ben kept a rather large travel case, which he unzipped to set up his side of the bathroom. Rey watched as everything came out, including the elaborate shaving set that looked like something from another century. She picked up the double-edged safety razor, awed by its design. She preferred to wax her legs every other month, having grown tired of cutting herself with blades.

“What turned you on to this old-fashioned stuff?”

Ben took back the razor and placed it on its stand, next to his shaving brush and bowl. Rey then picked up the container of soap and inhaled.

“I find it’s a closer shave than anything else I’ve tried,” he said. “There was a barbershop near campus that did shaves. Like stepping back in time. Retired old men sitting all day, solving the world’s problems. I enjoyed it, it was an experience, so I had my guy show me how to do it myself before I left for France.”

“It takes time. I’d know, from having to wait to shower.” Rey glanced back at the open door leading to her room.

Ben stowed the bag under his sink. “It’s meditative, a nice calm start to the morning. I stand here and think about the day ahead, manifest my destiny…” He winked.

“You ever think about growing back the mustache?”

“Do you want me to grow it back?”

_Yes, please._ She wanted to experience the gentle scratch of his stubble rubbing down her skin -- along her neck, under her breasts, between her thighs. Her answer, however, came in a smile meant to be coy. “It’s your face,” she said, “but I wouldn’t protest if you did.”

“I will definitely consider it.” Ben checked his reflection and rubbed his chin. “I missed yesterday and this morning. You might get your wish.”

“No time now before work?”

He side-eyed her. “It usually takes me about half an hour for prep and the actual shave,” he said, and arched an eyebrow. “You like to watch? Ahsoka might come back, though.”

Rey checked her phone, missing a text that her mother would be in the inn office catching up on work. “Actually no, she’s busy.”

“I’ll set it up then. You’re gonna learn today.” Ben ran the faucet hot and filled his shaving bowl. He then placed his brush in it for a soak. “Normally I’d let it sit longer, take a shower first, but as we’re in express mode here…”

Rey leaned on the sink, biting her lip as his t-shirt came off. She watched his abdominal muscles tighten. “Why don’t you just fucking kill me?”

Ben shook his head and folded the shirt on his towel rack. “You can take yours off if you want.”

_Touché._ “How is this ‘going slow’?”

“This isn’t sex, this is me shaving,” Ben said. “I like that shirt too much to mess it up.”

_Uh-huh._ Rey kept her counter-argument to herself. As the brush soaked, Ben quickly washed his face with a different soap and left the skin damp, patting it down with washcloth. He took back the soap container and removed the lid. He showed her the embedded soap, and Rey noted the scratch lines from the brush. “I’m running low,” he said. “But I need to go into town and get more basics. Hope I can find this brand here.”

_Me, too._ At least Prime delivered out here if necessary.

Ben tapped the brush off on the lip of the sink and drained the bowl. He ran the brush in circular motion in the soap until the bristles had a nice, thick coat of foaming white. Rey thought he would next apply it to his face, but was interested to see Ben instead place a few drops of water in the shaving bowl and run the brush along the bottom.

“You want to get the lather thick, but not too thick, and keep the bubbles small.” He pushed the bristles hard into the bowl as he rapidly stirred the soap. The bay rum scent released into the space between them.

Soon he had the consistency he wanted; to Rey it looked like the stuff that came out of a spray can, that she first used on her legs. “Now the fun part,” Ben said, loading the bristles with a generous amount of cream. Jutting his chin out over the sink, he applied the lather in an up and down motion, coating his cheeks, upper and lower lips, chin and throat.

Rey watched silently, thinking of other places to apply it.

“This blade is good for a few more shaves, so we’ll save the changing the blade lesson for another time,” he said, and proceeded to shave in short strokes along the grain of hair growth. He started at his right sideburn and worked his way across the jawline, then switched sides before reaching his chin, rinsing the razor intermittently.

Moving to his throat, he pulled his skin taut before applying the razor. “Here it gets tricky if you’re not used to using a blade,” he said. “My beard down here grows in different directions, so I’ll move around a bit.” To that effect, he made strokes up to down in some places, and vice-versa in others. Bit by bit, the shaving lather disappeared to reveal smooth skin.

All that remained was the cream on his upper lip and chin. “You save these parts for last to let the lather soften the hair,” he said, and hovered the razor there. He looked at Rey. “Now, I can skip this part and let the mustache grow back…”

“You could.” Her pussy gave a squeeze at the idea of feeling it down there.

They were silent for a moment, as if in a standoff. Finally, Ben rinsed the razor and set it aside, then wet the washcloth to remove the lather from his lip and chin, and what was spotted on his face and throat. “I need to dry the blade so it doesn’t wear,” he said, but first he took a tube of moisturizer and squeezed a few drops in his palm. “This keeps away the red bumps,” he explained. It smelled similar to the soap.

“How long before we see ‘stache?”

“The way I had it last time I was here, almost a month.” Ben wiped down the sink and braced the heel of his hand there. “So, want to give it a test run?”

Rey bussed his cheek, and let hers glide over his still damp skin. It felt amazing; the scents were arousing and warm. When they kissed she swore she detected the beginnings of his mustache biting at her.

Ben brushed his lips around her ear. “Poe and I are having a late lunch at Bespin today. Owner wants to talk to us about something. Can you join us?”

“I think so.” This intrigued her, but Luke knew many area winemakers and they were probably passing along their condolences.

“Come on up around two o’clock and we’ll drive there together,” he said.

_If you can get out of here first._ Her arms came around his middle and she hooked her thumb into a back belt loop on his jeans. Going slow clearly sucked, but she rather enjoyed these moments of surge.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/31/21 - Five chapters to post today. Seems like a large number, but once you read the fifth installment you'll understand why. :-)

True to Ahsoka’s prediction, the inn received more queries on room vacancies. They had another full house for tonight and tomorrow, though some guests were expected late. Rey let Jannah and Zorii know when to expect which party and made sure the night’s hospitality hour menu was prepped and cooled before leaving to meet Ben.

With the day’s pleasant weather, Skywalker had opened the outdoor tasting bar to accommodate the abundance of visitors. Nearly every table on the lawn was occupied, and the Tico sisters had a lengthy line leading from their truck. Rey waved to Rose, then Sabine at the outdoor bar as she entered the building.

She heard Ben speaking in French as she approached Luke’s office -- now his and Poe’s. Ben had his back to the door, sitting in the swivel chair at the desk, and spoke calmly.

Rey made out bits and pieces of the conversation. Ben was explaining the new developments in his life. _I’m not coming back...I’m sorry...My uncle gave me a new job…_ She lost the thread the faster he talked, and her thoughts diverted to deduce the person on the other end. With whom was he speaking, a friend?

He looked up and spun the chair, smiling at her. He bade goodbye to the caller with a promise to call next week and rang off.

“Everything okay?” she asked. He looked suddenly down.

“Not really, but it’s something that can’t be helped.” He gave her a smile. “Let me get Poe; he's checking the tanks.”

“Sure.” He’d tell her when he was ready, she supposed. She tried not to worry, especially after their time together in the last few days.

As they were getting into the BMW, Rose ran up to them. “You guys!” She collided with the open passenger window and Poe reared back. “What are you doing tomorrow night? Paige and I are holding a tasting dinner for some of the area winemakers. We’re trying out new menu items and want feedback.”

Ben leaned on the top of the car. “Happy to come. I will eat anything you ladies make.”

“Anything, huh?” Rose winked. “Awesome. Come around six. Bring Finn,” she added to Poe and dashed away.

Rey dug her nails into the driver headrest. Between mysterious French phone calls and ever-present Tico sisters, Rey wondered how going slow would work for her. Everywhere she turned, somebody was giving Ben the eye, or ear.

While she simmered in the back seat, she caught sight of Ben winking at her in the rear view mirror, and that helped calm her nerves.

Bespin Vineyards was hosting an equally healthy crowd today. Ben managed to find one of the last available parking spaces in the back, and as they walked he noted the layout of their property compared to Skywalker’s. Always observant and full of ideas, and Poe nodding and absorbing the feedback.

Rey had expected to wait for a table to open up, but the owner of Bespin -- John Lobot -- came out to greet them. He offered them his condolences on Luke’s passing, though he’d done the same at the party, and guided them to a secluded spot in the corner.

“I took the liberty of ordering you all a charcuterie board for lunch. It should be here soon.” He nodded toward the wide window near them, which overlooked the small food truck rodeo setup. Shenandoah Charcuterie Co. was not a business Rey knew. When prompted, Poe admitted nobody from that truck had approached Skywalker about getting into the rotation.

“Huh,” said John. “Funny, she’s a nice lady. All over the place in Crozet; guess she doesn’t get over to Afton much.” While they waited to eat, the owner of Bespin got down to brass tacks. He set the bottle of red he’d been carrying on the table. The label had a giant number three on it.

“I’ve seen this,” Poe said, but let John explain it. The 3 Wine was a blend of grapes from three different wineries -- in this case Bespin, Felucia Winery, and Hoth Vineyards. It was originally conceived as a one-time effort to promote the area wineries, but the overwhelmingly positive reception inspired John to make it an annual release.

“I discussed it with the owners of Felucia and Hoth, and Felucia’s on board. Hoth would like to repeat, but their owners suggested they would step aside to invite Skywalker to contribute to the next one. As a tribute to Luke,” said John. He offered small pours to everybody.

Ben and Poe went through the tasting ritual. They swirled the wine in the wide-bowled glasses and raised the stems to check the lighting and “legs,” the streaked droplets of wine along the glass. Rey mimicked their movements, remembering that fewer streaks meant a lower alcohol content. This wouldn’t be a sweet red.

Ben held the nose longer than everybody else, and sipped slowly. “Cab Franc,” he said.

“I got the Merlot,” Poe said.

John smiled. “Two for three.” He looked at Rey. “What’s your guess on the third grape?”

_Don’t ask me that_. Rey raced through a list in her mind of popular red varietals in the region. The wine had a similar flavor to the Skywalker Meritage, which was also a three-grape blend. That used Merlot, Cab Franc and…

“Petit Verdot.”

“Give the lady a cigar.” John clapped. “Luke would be so proud of you.”

Rey suddenly felt like a child on her first trip to the grownups’ table. “May I ask,” she said, “which grapes from Skywalker you’d want to use? Luke was partial to his Cab Franc vines as far as reds went.”

John shrugged. “My first thought was the Merlot, since Skywalker tends to win medals for it. Truthfully, the original three vineyards had planned to rotate grape contributions. Hoth contributed the Franc last time, and I intended it for this year.” He smiled. “But I’m willing to adjust if that’s what you prefer.”

“What about distribution?”

“It’s a small release. Seventy-five cases, split evenly. They’ll sell fast.”

Rey looked at Poe. “Twenty-five cases? What if our club members expect this to be an exclusive? We have way more than twenty-five members enrolled, and I know many order wine by the case. If there’s not enough to go around...” She envisioned Galen Erso losing his shit on missing out.

“Do we have to make a decision today?” Ben cut in. “I am certainly flattered you’ve thought of my Uncle Luke, but as you can see,” he looked between his work partners, “we need a consensus.”

“Of course. I didn’t expect a commitment today, Mr. Solo. I did want to meet you. We didn’t get to talk much at the party.”

“It’s Ben, and thank you,” Ben said.

John handed him a card with a request to call with a firm yes or no. “Unfortunately, work beckons, so I will leave you to your lunch. It was good to meet you. Poe,” John shook his hand, then Rey’s, “and Rey, my condolences. I will miss Luke terribly.”

The winemaker left, and Ben and Poe shifted in their seats to stare down Rey.

“What?” she demanded.

Poe’s lip quirked up in an amused-looking grin. “Look at you, all business-like and asking questions like you own the whole damn place.”

“Shut up.” She smiled, and sipped her wine. “Of course I have questions. This particular wine is good, but it doesn’t mean the next release is guaranteed. I’m also not familiar with Felucia’s wines, and while it’s nice they want to honor Luke, the wine should do his memory justice.”

Ben studied the back label. “I have to agree. I’d like to visit Felucia and get a feel for their wines before we commit to anything. The ones I had from here the other day were good.” He added to his glass. “If this is going to be a memorial for Luke, maybe some of the profits should go to charity?”

They continued to discuss the pros and cons of a collaboration, when a young woman approached with a sizable wooden board laden with food. Rey smiled on seeing her friend, Jyn, and introduced her to Ben.

“I met your parents the other night.” They shook hands. “Rey tells me you’re interested in applying.”

“Please don’t hold my family against me. I know how Dad gets,” she joked.

Ben asked Poe for a business card, and jotted down his email. “No worries. Email your resume here and I’ll see that Wedge gets it.”

“Thanks. When John told me who this was for, I made this board myself. Hope you like it.” She then moved on to check on other charcuterie customers. Poe excused himself for a glass of water.

Ben leaned into Rey. “You’re sure she’s not the gal you kissed?”

She glared back. “You’re picturing it now, aren’t you?”

“She’s cute.” Ben picked up a slice of prosciutto. “Always good to keep your options open, right?”

“If you’re hinting at a three-way, I seem to recall --”

“I’m kidding. Besides,” his voice lowered to a sexy rumble, “I never want to share you with anybody.”

Her heart swelled. _Back at you._

Poe rejoined them and they tucked into the selection of meats, cheeses, olives and dried fruit. Everything was delicious, and while not all of it paired with the red it was nonetheless a nice lunch experience.

“We should get their card,” Poe said. “Have them in the truck rotation.”

“I don’t get why Jyn is unhappy working for them, though,” Rey said. “She obviously put effort into the presentation and food.”

“I know why.” Ben nudged Rey’s shoulder and nodded to an outside table. Amilyn, wearing an apron similar to Jyn’s, was chatting with the occupants.

“Who’s that?” Poe asked. When Rey identified her, he nodded. “Ah, yes. I wasn’t at Skywalker when that went down, but I know the story. Guess that answers that.”

Rey looked up the business on her phone. “It’s her business, too. She’s Jyn’s boss.”

“That answers _that_ ,” Ben said, and set down the bite he was planning to eat. He looked at Poe. “You think Wedge would mind if…?”

“He won’t,” Rey cut in. “Not in this case.”

They waited for Jyn to return to collect the board. “How was it?”

“Amazing, thank you,” Ben said, resting on his elbows. “In fact, it’s so good I have to ask...how soon can you start at Skywalker?”

Jyn’s mouth gaped, but she recovered. “Like, now?”

Ben grinned wide. “How about Monday? Come by around nine, and we’ll get you to shadow Kay for a shift.”

The young woman about squealed her delight, Rey stood to hug her friend. “Come by the inn around eight, and we’ll have breakfast first,” she said, and Jyn agreed. She nearly floated out of the winery.

The trio finished their wine, tracked down John to say goodbye, and started the long walk to the car. Rey looked back in time to see Jyn tossing her apron at a surprised Amilyn and walking away, her head held high.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: discussion about birth control and virginity.
> 
> For reference, Maz's persona here is inspired somewhat by Dr. Ruth.

That Rey survived the first night of Ben’s residence without slipping into his room, and his bed, stood as a testament to her willpower. To be sure, it also gave rise to a restless night, as Rey spent much of it watching her bathroom door to see if the knob would turn. Their goodnight kiss, held in the bathroom after Ahsoka had retired, had to suffice until they were alone again.

When her alarm sounded, she readied herself for the day. After drying off from her shower, she wrapped her towel tight and touched the knob of Ben’s bathroom door. Turning it slowly, she opened the door a crack and peered through.

Ben lay on his back, his head turned away, fast asleep. He’d ditched the comforter and slept with just the thin top sheet, which had pulled away from his body sometime in the night.

Rey watched the gentle rise and fall of his bare chest as he breathed, and stifled a gasp when he twitched. He didn’t wake, however, but he turned on his side away from her, and when the sheet moved she saw he was wearing dark boxer briefs.

In two steps, she could be in bed with him, spooning against his back and wrapping her arms around him. How would he react to that?

_It’s not time yet_ , her brain reminded her, and she had to concede to logic. Ben didn’t have to get up as early today, so she let him sleep. They would meet up to go to Rose and Paige’s party, if not sooner.

Toward the end of her shift at the inn, she relaxed in the kitchen with hot tea and English biscuits, browsing with her phone for information on birth control. She’d already nixed pills. In the event of a spontaneous coupling, she didn’t want to risk accidentally skipping a dose. Condoms didn’t appeal to her, either. Since she and Ben were both free of STDs, she wanted to feel him inside her without barriers.

That left the implant or the shot. She was reading a comparison article when Jannah walked past and whistled.

“Hold up.” Jannah rested her chin on Rey’s shoulder. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she said, pointing to the picture of the implant. “So, this explains why you’ve been so nice lately. You gettin’ some.”

Rey felt her face heat. “Was I that bad? I’m sorry.”

“Make it up to me by telling me how Ben Solo is in bed. Give me that, at least.”

“I don’t know yet. I’m not gettin’ anything,” Rey said. “I need to figure this out first.”

Jannah walked to the swinging door and peered out a moment, then came back to Rey’s side. “Let me show you something,” she said, and held up one arm as if to show off a muscle. Pressing down on her skin, she exposed what looked like a tiny, hard vein.

“I got the implant, and I love it,” she said. “I’ve had no reactions or health issues. This one lasts up to five years, and I can remove it any time. Took five minutes to put in, no biggie.”

“It doesn’t feel weird?”

“No. You barely notice it. Unlike the shot, you don’t have to keep going back to the doctor every few months for refills.” Jannah moved away and began collecting dishes and mugs for the hospitality hour. “Of course, that’s me. You’ll want to talk to your gyno, but if they recommend the implant it’s fairly affordable.”

She turned to look at Rey, and clearly saw something in her expression that was concerning. “Rey, girl, you alright?”

“Just thinking,” Rey said. “This is pretty much the last step to prepare, but for as much as I want it I still don’t feel ready.”

“Why not? I mean, I know you two are starting out but that volcano is going to erupt soon.”

No lies there. “Yes, and I’d like to have some control over it.” She looked Jannah in the eyes, bursting to open up without giving away too much. “Ben’s had more experience.”

“He’s older, but I get it. You’re saying you don’t want to look like you’ve just been called up to the majors.” Jannah stepped closer and touched Rey’s hand. “You know he won’t care. He’ll just want to be with you.”

“I know.” Why did her lack of experience bother her, though?

Jannah checked the door again. “Rey...have you maybe considered looking into videos for guidance?”

“Porn?” Rey was no prude, but wasn’t certain she could sit through an explicit video.

“Instructional films,” Jennah said. “A lot of them use people who aren’t adult film actors -- like married couples. You see everything, yes, but the way they’re shot they’re like elevated softcore. They’re designed for couples to watch, too.”

“Really?” Watching an erotic film with Ben...Rey’s insides fluttered at the idea.

Jannah called up a phone app. “Rey, you’re about to jump out of your skin. How about we start with a podcast instead?” She flashed her screen to show a photo of an ancient woman in giant glasses. Beneath her photo read the caption _Let’s Talk About Sex - With Dr. Maz_.

“This woman is amazing. She looks like a petrified raisin, yeah, but she knows things that would probably twist Ben Solo into pretzel knots. Hell, I bet she invented sex.”

Jannah let her scroll through the available episodes. One title caught her eye: “The Seductive Virgin.”

“I’ll look her up. Thanks, Jannah.”

“Thank me later.” Jannah winked. “Cash or coffee, either will do.”

***

Ben and Rey arrived at the Ticos’ to discover a full house -- actually bursting. People moved in and out through the front door, resting on the porch and in the front rooms, wherever one could find seating. Everybody had a plate in one hand and note paper in the other.

Poe and Finn had beaten them there. Rey knew some of the crowd and identified key people in the Shenandoah wine industry to Ben, and Poe came over to fill in the gaps. As they moved deeper into the house to get to the promised food, Rose greeted them. She was pulling a tall, ginger-haired man behind her.

“Thanks for coming, you guys. Ben, I want to meet Armitage Hux, a very good friend of mine.”

Armitage rested a hand on Rose’s hip, looking protective of her. Rey got the impression he was a friend with benefits.

“I hope you don’t mind the ambush,” he told Ben. “Word on the street is you're looking for a new distribution and sales person.”

They shook hands. “You’re looking for work?”

“Actually,” Armitage pulled a card from his shirt pocket, “I’m looking for wineries to represent.” Ben showed her the card with the raised Hux Distributors logo. “Currently I rep six breweries and one cidery in the area. I’m looking to expand into wine, and when I heard Skywalker’s guy left I wanted to meet you.”

Ben pinched the card. “Did you know my Uncle Luke?”

Armitage shook his head. “Only by reputation. I know he was well liked, and I love the wine. It should be in more stores and restaurants. I have people under me selling to D.C. and the Carolinas, and I know for a fact Skywalker isn’t found there.”

The man had done his homework.

“I hadn’t considered outsourcing the work. Uncle Luke liked to keep things in house,” he paused, “but I’m not him. Have you met Poe Dameron?” The conversation continued until Ben excused himself from the ladies to take Armitage to the other Skywalker partner.

“I won’t be long,” he told Rey. He added, lower in her ear, “Find out what you can from Rose.”

“Take your time.” Rey glanced at her friend. “Rose, by chance did you arrange this party just to have them meet?”

Rose pursed her lips a moment, then said, “Of course not. You see all that food? We’re thinking of getting a second truck to double our bookings. Armie’s just back from Virginia Beach, so I said come over and meet Ben. I figured a casual setting might help.”

Rey took a plate and inspected the buffet. Ben and Armitage conversed in a corner with Poe, picking off a shared plate, so she helped herself. The Ticos had laid out an eclectic selection of inspired lumpia flavors, including buffalo chicken, Philly cheesesteak, chicken parm and some dessert rolls. Rey took one of each and found a spot with Rose.

“Here’s your score sheet.” Rose gave her a paper. “Rate every roll on a one to five scale, five being what you can’t live without. Top two winners are added to the permanent menu; the rest will rotate.”

“Will do. So,” Rey took a bite of the buffalo roll. The spice exploded on her tongue. “How did you two meet? I haven’t seen him around.”

Rose smiled. “Oh, I’ve known him a while. He used to man a table at the farmer’s market in Staunton. His father raises quail and pigs; they sell organic meats. We date off and on, we have fun, but lately…” She glanced back at the men. “Since he struck out with his own business, he’s been more confident. The dates are fancier.” She raised her eyebrows. “The nights are longer.”

Benefits. “He seems nice.”

“Yeah. If this keeps up I’ll have to break poor Ben’s heart. Though I’m sure he won’t notice.”

Rey set down the half roll in her hand. “Meaning?”

“I saw you two walk in together.”

“We live together,” Rey said. “Surely you’ve heard that Ben inherited the house. I know the gossip vines consistently bloom around here.”

Rose took a proffered score sheet from a passing guest. “I don’t miss stuff like this, Rey. Look around. Whole room is full of people, and he keeps zeroing on you. He was like that at Luke’s party, too, despite the fact I looked amazing.”

“Why do you have that look on your face?” Rey asked, uncomfortable with her friend’s wicked grin.

“Because you have _that_ look on your face, like you’re staring down an oncoming truck.” Rose took a roll from Rey’s plate. “You two are on the down low. I want every last filthy detail.”

“There’s nothing to tell. Please don’t say anything.” Rey spoke through her teeth. Her first mistake. This word choice was basically an admission, and Rose glanced over at the man, putting pieces together.

Poe didn’t know, maybe Ahsoka didn’t, either…

Rey sighed. “How can I help you? Do you want more dates at Skywalker? Summer’s coming and we’re expanding the truck calendar. We were going to ask you anyway.”

“I want Armie to land the Skywalker account. He isn’t repping a winery yet, and he believes if Skywalker signs on more will follow.”

“That’s it? What’s in it for you?”

“Who do you think’s going to help invest in the second truck?” Rose asked.

***

The party raged on for hours, though Ben cajoled Rey to leave early. It didn’t take much to convince her; she was beat. The drive home passed in silence as she slouched against the driver’s side window, dozing with Ben’s hand in her lap when he could spare it.

Upstairs, in the quiet of their shared space, he lingered while she brushed her teeth. “How was your recon mission?” he asked.

Rey spat and rinsed. “Well, Rose figured out we’re sneaking around, but that’s her wheelhouse. In exchange for her silence, I’m supposed to seduce whichever one of you votes against signing on with Hux Distributors and convince him otherwise.” She leaned against her door. “So, who’s it going to be?”

Ben stifled his laughter. “Poe likes him; so do I. We were thinking of a trial period to see if he walks the walk. Do you agree?”

“Well, damn.” They came together and kissed goodnight. “I was looking forward to it.”

“With whom?” Ben teased her.

She said nothing more, but walked backward through her bathroom door and blew him one last kiss before closing on his weary expression.

Settled in bed, she stuck in her earbuds and called up Dr. Maz’s podcast. Her full name was Dr. Maz Kanata, and this podcast was her latest venture in preaching the gospel of safe, satisfying sex. Rey read in the woman’s biography that she was a licensed therapist with an impressive vitae of radio and television shows throughout a multi-decade career. The more she read, Rey thought the name sounded familiar -- something out of the late Eighties zeitgeist. Surely Luke had referenced her once.

She debated on which episode to try first. With podcasts she normally went in order, but “The Seductive Virgin” appeared deep into the third series. She downloaded it.

Dr. Maz spoke in a beautiful, succinct voice, with an accent that hinted of European origin. “If you are new to this program, come here on the basis of this episode title, I welcome you,” she said. “I also want you to know that if you have come here for the exact definition of virginity, I will disappoint you because I do not have it.”

“Oh-kay,” Rey said to herself, curious about where this thread would go.

“For years when people have talked about virginity on television or the radio, it’s always been in a heteronormative sense. People will tell you that if you have never placed your penis inside a vagina, or if you have never taken a penis inside your vagina, then you are a virgin. I don’t believe that’s necessarily the case.”

Dr. Maz went on to explain the number of possibilities under which people could be considered sexual without falling under strict labels. She discussed virginity as a social construct and related points, all the while Rey let the woman’s words fill her head and blow her mind.

“Can a virgin be seductive? Many cultures put a high value on virginity, and denigrate those who lose it under circumstances that don’t meet that culture’s expectations. This leads to shame, one of my least favorite words,” she said. “If you identify as a virgin and you fear the intimate act because of perceived repercussions, let me say this: don’t fear, don’t worry. You are the architect of your sexuality, and you alone should determine your experience,” Dr. Maz continued.

Rey listened to the end and put away her phone. She wasn’t certain how that talk would help her tie Ben in knots. She only wanted to make love with Ben; this was like studying for a Master’s, but she did take something away from it.

No worries, no fear. It would happen when the time was right.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: Character illness (no deaths)

As March passed deep into April, the residents of Luke Skywalker’s former home fell into a routine that kept them extremely busy yet enthusiastic for the work. Amidala House, normally booked full on weekends, was starting to see multiple midweek guests as couples took early Spring vacations or returned to Shenandoah for UVA reunions and other events. On the winery side, business increased initially out of curiosity over the new owners, but remained strong as Ben and Poe endeared themselves to the community.

The three owners ultimately decided, though they appreciated the gesture from John Lobot and the winemakers at Felucia and Hoth, to pass on contributing to the next 3 release. It had nothing to do with the quality of the other wineries’ grapes; they chose to wait a while and weigh other options for a tribute to Luke.

Armitage Hux didn’t waste time with his trial contract. Days after signing Skywalker, he informed them the largest gourmet grocery chain in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area wanted to carry Skywalker wines. The day after that win, Rose sent over a tray of sliders for the winery break room.

Wedge played an important role in the upturn in sales as well. He remained popular at the winery, and his promotional ideas -- implemented with help from Rey -- helped to raise Skywalker’s online social profiles. After much deliberation with the owners, he hired Bazine, who took the job seriously and landed several wine club enrollments in her first week. Jyn Erso, having taken over for Kay, proved her worth as well, and soon people noticed a friendly competition forming.

“You think we ought to offer an incentive?” Wedge asked Rey during a weekly meeting of owners and managers. “Whoever signs on the most memberships in a month gets an Amazon gift card or something?”

“Or cash,” Ben suggested. “It’s a great motivator.”

“If you’re going to do that, you ought to extend the contest to the inn workers,” Rey said. “Jannah and Zorii are always selling this place. You have to remember our guests go to several wineries during their stays.”

“Fair enough, but how do we account for them when somebody enrolls?” Wedge asked. “If the customer doesn’t say Jannah or Zorii recommended the wine club, an attendant might get credit for the sale.”

“I’ll have cards made up for inn guests. When one is redeemed, you can count the vote toward Jannah or Zorii.”

They agreed to begin officially in May, when the peak season began. It pleased Rey that she could champion the inn side.

After hours, and during rare moments of seclusion, the clandestine kisses continued and increased in desire. Ben’s mustache had grown in, and Rey loved it. The new-old look turned a good share of heads at work as well.

Gradually Ben and Rey pushed their limits, edging closer to the inevitable yet pulling back before completely falling. When the weather warmed he forewent the running singlets altogether, entering the house through the kitchen each morning, sweaty and nearly naked. It got to the point even Ashoka couldn’t always look away.

Rey, for her part, took to hanging her intimates on a hook inside her bathroom door, ensuring that Ben saw a different lacy bra and panty set every day of the week.

It amazed Rey that Ben remained patient with her; it was almost as if they were engaged in an unspoken competition of their own. Who would crack first?

One month to the day after Luke’s passing, Ahsoka handed Rey a letter. She let it sit a few days, having been overrun with work. Today she carved out some free time and sat down in her room to read it:

_My dear Rey,_

_Miss me yet?_

_I hope you laughed. I hope the house fills with laughter at least once a day. I hope every hospitality hour at the inn is lively and fully engaged. I hope the winery is running smoothly on all cylinders and that you, Ben, and Poe aren’t at each other’s throats._

_Most of all, I hope you eventually lose count of the days. People tend to mark anniversaries when a loved one dies. Not just the first year. I’m talking about every damn forthcoming milestone. The first Easter without Luke, the first Thanksgiving, the first Christmas… It’s why I wrote this to be given to you after the first month, because I want this to be the first and only time you “commemorate” anything to do with my death._

_I don’t want you to associate holidays with sadness because I’m not there to enjoy them with you. Remember me all you like, and do so with a smile. Concentrate more on the firsts that will happen this year. You and Ahsoka will celebrate first holidays with Ben, and perhaps Leia will come down for Christmas. It would be her first on this side of the country if she does._

_Before you know it, you will have celebrated your first anniversary as a co-owner of Skywalker Vineyards. I realize the day after becomes one of reckoning. By then, you will be free to sell your ten percent, and Ben may offer to buy out Poe or vice versa. Personally I hope the three of you stick together. Skywalker got too big for me to handle by myself. She needs a team, and I believe the three of you need each other. You are my all-stars._

_And by next April you all have better resumed the Skywalker anniversary weekend. I intend to make it rain on the weekend you cancelled._

_All my love,_

_Luke_

“I do miss you, Luke. So much it hurts.” Rey put the letter with the others. Sitting at her desk, she lifted her arm and touched the slight incision where her gynecologist had inserted the birth control implant. After discussing it with Ben, she made the appointment and got it done. Jannah had been right; the procedure was quick and mostly painless for her. All that stood in the way of consummating her relationship with Ben was herself.

She anticipated this first above all others.

***

It was customary for Finn to come by the winery at closing every day Poe worked. A co-worker at his vineyard, who lived nearby, dropped him off at the main entrance, and he’d walk the rest of the way to get in more steps. He and Poe would drive home together and share the remainder of the evening.

Rey held a special place in her heart for them. When Luke first hired Poe she developed a crush, but hopes were dashed quickly when she learned he was gay. Inspired, she arranged for Finn to come to a family barrel tasting as her guest, and her first and only attempt at matchmaking succeeded. She retired on that victory.

She found Finn sitting on the winery’s front steps, looking melancholy. “Hon, is something wrong?”

He looked up as though looking more through her than at her. “I don’t know, Rey. I-I just can’t bring myself to go inside.” His dark eyes turned liquid and his hands trembled. It frightened Rey into thinking her friend was having a panic attack.

“Hey, no. Let’s go for a walk.” Rey got him to stand and they started for the lawn. A few stragglers remained at a few picnic tables. Somebody would be along to warn them of the gates closing, but the two walked beyond that. Rey waited before speaking; she wanted to put as much space between them and the buildings, where she suspected Finn’s anxiety lay.

They reached the edge of the Viognier field. Nobody would question their being here. “What has you so upset, Finn?”

“It’s Poe. Maybe it’s all in my head, but things have changed since he became co-owner.”

“Well, yeah. It’s a big responsibility,” Rey said. “My life has as well. I’m working more than ever. But it’s only been a little over a month. Eventually things will settle down and he’ll be home more often. He and Ben are still hammering out a few things.”

“That worries me more.” Finn looked away for a moment and gave a bitter laugh. “Rey, this will sound stupid, but I think there’s more between them than the winery.”

Rey listened.

“I think they’re having an affair.”

Of all the things Finn could have said...how had he come to this conclusion? “Finn,” she said, “just because they’ve been working so closely the last month doesn’t mean they’re romantically involved.” Especially since Ben was romantic with her every chance they had. “They are becoming friends, and Ben will want to be your friend, too.”

“I want to believe you, Rey. It’s just…” he shifted and idly touched the wires supporting the vines. “You ever notice that Ben’s not really attentive around women? That summer he was here before he went to France, girls flirted with him all the time and he shut them down.”

A residual effect of losing his college girlfriend, but nobody knew at the time.

“And Rose and Paige...men attracted to women don’t ignore those two, Rey. I’ve seen how lady customers double-take when he walks past. He’s getting nothing from it.”

_Good._ “Look at it this way, Finn. Have you seen him checking out other men?”

“No.” Finn scratched his chin in thought. “Maybe because he’s only checking out Poe?”

Definitely not. She really wished she could confide in Finn, but too many people knew or suspected already for her comfort. Rey and Ben weren’t ready to come out yet.

“Maybe he’s thinking about the winery before moving on to other interests. Maybe you’re overthinking things.” She took his hand and pulled him out of the vines. “Look, Ben is taking me to Mos Eisley to hear a jazz trio he wants to book here. That’s why I’m wearing my nice pants in a vineyard. They won’t be working late tonight.” She dipped into her purse for a tissue and gave it to him. “Come on.”

Wedge hadn’t locked the doors yet. They walked through the tasting room into the back, with Rey expecting to find Ben and Poe in the office. Business talk as usual, nothing more.

What greeted them shocked her. Ben sat hunched in the desk chair, his head buried in his arms. Poe had a hand on Ben’s shoulder, rubbing softly. Given Finn’s current emotional state, this might have looked compromising, but Rey sensed something had gone terribly wrong.

“Poe?” Finn’s voice came out a bit demanding, and Poe rushed over to give his fiance a hug and kiss. Finn softened immediately and asked more questions as he was led away.

Rey stepped into the office. “Ben?”

Ben sat up, and Rey saw glassy eyes and skin reddened from crying. She rushed to him with no concern for the open door and the possibility somebody might see them. Ben took her immediately into his arms and pulled her onto his lap. Burying his face into her neck, he let out a loud sob.

“Ben, what is it? Talk to me, please.” His pain became hers in that moment.

He shuddered in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. His words came slowly, his voice laced with disbelief. “I just got a call. My mother...she’s in the hospital.” Another ragged breath. 

“No.” Hurricane Leia...nothing could knock down that woman. She was a force of nature.

“Is she…?”

“Stable. I don’t know any more,” Ben said, and looked at her. “I have to go home.”

Rey kissed his forehead and said, “I’m coming with you.”

“Rey, you don’t have --”

“I’m coming with you,” she repeated, stronger. She spotted the Beemer fob on his desk and grabbed it. “And I’m driving. You’re in no condition to do so.”

Ben didn’t argue with her. Limp and helpless, he followed Rey’s lead as they left the winery. It was clear Poe had spread the word to those remaining. As they left, people called out their best wishes, and Poe promised he’d hold up everything at this end. Finn also offered his sympathies.

Once in the car, Rey started for the house. “Just give me five minutes to throw a bag together --”

“No. Drive.” Ben’s voice was numb. “I don’t want to waste one second. It’s already an hour to the fucking airport. What if I get there five minutes too late?”

“Okay.” Rey kept her voice calm though her insides roiled and quivered. They didn’t say another word until they reached the interstate.

Ben sat slouched in the passenger seat and looked over at Rey. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“I know.”

“Was this what it was like when Luke got worse?” he asked. “This helplessness overpowering you?”

“Yes.” Rey swallowed back her anguish. Hours ago Luke had implored her in a letter to let go of sadness, yet it refused to release its hold. “The only difference being we didn’t have as far to travel.”

It wasn’t the right thing to say. Ben pressed his head on the window and watched the scenery blur past.

Rey used the handsfree system to call the airline for the next available flight. She had to coax Ben to help with the reservations, and by some miracle they managed two coach seats to San Francisco with a change in St. Louis. Rey next called Ahsoka, who’d already learned the news from Poe when neither of them showed at the house.

“I’m praying for her, Ben. Get there safely and keep us posted. We’ll be fine at the inn,” Ahsoka said.

By the time they got to Richmond, parked in long-term, and went through all the security checks, they were wedged in the last two available seats on the airline’s last flight out for the day. They had no luggage, nothing but their wallets and phones and the clothes on their backs. It killed Ben that he couldn’t monitor any calls while in the air, so they sat together quietly and ignored the engine’s hum and rustling of the other passengers.

“I’m not ready for this,” Ben said somewhere over Missouri. He hadn’t let go of her hand since takeoff. “She’s not ready for this. She’s not done yet.”

“Focus on the positive,” Rey told her. “Leia is a fighter. As long as I've known her, I’ve never seen her back down.” The words left her guilty. Of course Luke’s death had left his sister devastated, and Ben moving away compounded that grief.

“She’s been tired,” Ben said. “Always bickering with my father. His wife’s no better. Did I tell you she’s planning to sell out?”

“No. Everything?”

“Just the business. The house will stay on our side of the family.” Ben’s eyes misted over. “I suppose it will be mine one day, though I don’t see the point of living there without Alderaan attached to it.”

Rey offered no more words, only her comfort. He held her as the plane descended into St. Louis.

“I can’t help but think if she sold her half sooner, she’d have been spared this,” he said. “Or maybe I should have flown back with her before moving out --”

“Ben.” Rey kissed his cheek. “Please, focus on Leia getting better. Ahsoka and I beat ourselves up over Luke the whole time he was sick. We blamed ourselves for not pressing him to see a doctor when he started coughing. Ahsoka wondered if something she fed him started the whole thing… We just didn’t know. You don’t know why this happened.”

His grip on her tightened, almost to the point of pain. “Thank you for coming with me,” he said. “I’d be a bigger mess now if you hadn’t.”

_I love you._ “You’re welcome.”


	27. Chapter 27

Leia’s personal assistant was a petite woman named Mia, dressed for business in a grey pencil skirt and white blouse. Ben received her text when they deplaned at SFO. She was waiting in a Mercedes at the baggage claim gate.

“Have you eaten?” was the first thing she asked when Ben slid into the front passenger seat.

“How is she?” Ben asked.

Mia pulled into the traffic. “Leia’s stable but improving. There’s been at least one person at the hospital with her since they brought her in. She’s not conscious, but she’s been told you’re coming and I think it’s helped, but she won’t forgive me if you ruin your health over this.”

“I’m not hungry.” Ben fidgeted.

Mia turned her head for a moment to smile at Rey. “Grief isn’t an excuse for being rude, Ben,” she said to him.

This Mia definitely had Ben’s number. He introduced the two of them and apologized for his behavior. Mia offered to stop somewhere and get Rey some dinner, but she sided with Ben. Get to the hospital to check on Leia first. Rey was starving, but she’d keep.

“Please tell me he wasn’t involved in this,” Ben said, clearly meaning his father.

Mia shook her head. “Far as I know, your parents haven’t spoken at all this week. This occurred early in the morning, and the EMTs arrived quickly. She was life-flighted to the hospital. No time was wasted.”

Ben seemed to relax at that. “We need to find a hotel in town --”

“You can stay at the house. I have the keys if you need them,” Mia said.

“The house...all the way out in Napa while my mother is here? I don’t want to be that far away in case she turns for the worse.”

“She won’t.” Mia was firm. “Leia won’t want you spending the money, or have you worrying about her.”

“But I --”

Mia silenced him with a hard glare. Even Rey scooted deeper back into her seat at the sight of it.

“I have the keys if you need them.” The words came slowly, with more force this time.

Rey white-knuckled the rest of the ride as Mia sped up the car. _Yes, ma’am._

***

Having seen Luke in the hospital, hooked up to tubes and wires that seemed to drain the blood from his face, Rey was prepared to find Leia looking similar to that. Ben’s reaction spoke of greater heartbreak. He put his hand to his mouth and tears spilled over his fingers.

Mia came up from behind him and touched his arm. “She’s better than she looks, Ben,” she said. “Her vitals improved when I told her you were on your way. Go talk to her.”

He nodded and took the chair next to the bed, and tucked her hand into his. For a long minute, only the sounds of machine beeps and wheezing air filled the room. Ben brushed back the hair from Leia’s forehead with his other hand and kissed her.

“Mom, I’m here. I got on the first plane after Mia called. Rey’s here, too.” He glanced back as though to confirm it. Rey hung back by the door with Mia but backed away to give mother and son privacy.

“Were you there this morning?” she asked Leia’s assistant. This was still difficult to process. Leia had been so full of life a month earlier; nothing in her mannerisms hinted at illness.

“I wasn’t, but thankfully she wasn’t alone.” Mia nodded toward a tall, black gentleman approaching them. “He can tell you more.”

Mia introduced Rey to Lando Calrissian, who smiled warmly as he took her hand. “Yes, Luke’s step-daughter. I wish we were meeting under happier circumstances.”

Rey didn’t correct him. “Ben will want to know what happened with Leia.” She made to re-enter the room but Mia blocked her path.

“Ms. Jakkson…”

“Rey, please.”

“Leia speaks fondly of you, and if she were awake now she’d insist you get something to eat and take a breather,” the woman said. “Lando, perhaps you could escort Rey to the cafeteria, and we’ll let Ben have his time alone with his mother.”

Rey peered through the open door. Ben hadn’t noticed they’d stepped away. She caught bits of his one-sided conversation, talking to Leia about his work and how he was personally tending to her vines on the property. Her heart ached for him, and seeing him triggered a memory of Ahsoka in a similar position at Luke’s beside. She couldn’t deny Ben this time.

“I’ll let him know where you’ve gone.” Though gentler with her now, Mia nonetheless shooed Rey off with this friendly stranger, and before she knew it they were the sole occupants of an elevator descending to the ground floor.

Rey drew from her years in hospitality to initiate the small talk. “Do you work for Alderaan Vineyards, Mr. Calrissian?”

“Lando, please, and oh, no,” he said, with a deep, short laugh. “Not directly. I’ve done legal work for the family for years. My firm’s been connected to Alderaan since Leia’s father ran it.” On the ride down, Rey learned Lando had been Han’s best man at the first wedding, and Han for Lando’s, which also didn’t last.

“That young man,” he said, speaking of Ben, “I’ve changed his diapers. It always amazes me, how much he’s changed over the years.”

So Lando was practically family, just as she was with the Skywalkers on the East Coast. “I know he’ll want to thank you for helping out with Leia when she got sick. He was relieved to know she wasn't alone.”

“Yeah.” Lando cleared his throat. “I’m not a hundred percent sure of that.” He must have noted confusion in Rey’s expression, and added, “I know we’ve only just met, Rey, but I get from seeing you just now watching Ben, you and he are rather close.”

Was it obvious to everybody now, even strangers? “I would say so.”

The elevator opened and Lando led the way to the cafeteria. Rey needed a second to adjust to the glare of white walls and bright lights after the ride, all the while Lando spoke.

“Leia and I...we’re good friends. I knew Han first, most of my life, but after the divorce I stayed close to Ben’s mother by virtue of our work. With Han remarried I see less of him socially; we don’t run in the same circles anymore.”

In the cafeteria, they selected a table on the pretense of surveying the various food stations in the vast area. Lando kept his gaze on his hands. “What I’m trying to say is...I was _with_ Leia when she fell ill.”

Rey got it. The little death that nearly caused the big one. “I see,” she said, “and Ben isn’t aware…?”

“Leia was planning to tell him. She wanted him to get settled in Virginia first.” Lando looked close to tears. “I do hope she pulls through. I think I’ve loved her since day one. I sure as hell waited long enough after they split.”

Rey could relate, in a way. “How long have you two been together?”

“About a month now.”

So just before or after Leia’s trip to Virginia. Funny how their relationship aligned with hers and Ben’s. Rey saw Lando was in need of comfort, and she took his hand. “I can’t really speak for Ben, but I feel I know him well enough to say I don’t think he would mind. He told me once that Leia never met a stranger, and he didn’t seem to worry about her wanting for company. I’d like to believe he’d have been happy to know sooner,” she said. “From what I know of the Skywalkers, they can be resilient. Luke lasted longer than the doctors predicted.”

Lando smiled. “I hate to ask this, given we’ve just met, but could you talk to him later? News like this might be better coming from somebody...closer.”

“I agree,” Rey said. “That’s why I think Leia should tell him. When she wakes up, she will.”

***

Rey chose the blandest item available, a pre-packaged PBJ, and a soda. Mia kept Lando updated via text, and they were finishing up when they learned Leia had squeezed Ben’s hand in response to him.

“That’s good then?” Rey asked. “She’s aware, I hope.”

“I’ll take it,” Lando said. “She wasn’t this active earlier.”

Back in Leia’s room, Ben looked ready to drop. Mia was badgering him to stand and let the blood circulate through his body. “I really think you should go back to the house,” she said, and when she spotted Rey at the door she beckoned them closer. “You just missed the doctor. He was very optimistic about Leia’s recovery. They’re keeping her sedated one more night to get the rest she needs.”

So long as nothing grim entered the conversation, Rey accepted the news as hopeful. She put her around Ben’s waist, no longer caring who saw what. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m better. Maybe you’re right, Mia,” he said. “I’m beat.”

Mia gave Rey the car keys. “Lando will take me home, if I choose to go. I promise the second something changes I will call.”

Leia’s assistant had softened a bit, and coupled with Ben’s exhaustion it took away some of the tension from earlier. Rey and Ben walked hand in hand out of the hospital, never losing contact until they reached the car.

“I’ll set up the Waze,” he said, and programmed the address. “It’s a drive, and you let me know if you want to switch. San Francisco traffic isn’t like back in Virginia.”

“I’m willing to try.”

She was disappointed the route didn’t take them over the Golden Gate Bridge, but then they hadn’t come to sightsee. Nonetheless, Rey enjoyed the lush scenery of the Napa Valley once they reached it. What she could see as the sky dimmed, anyway.

It was well past sundown when they reached a gorgeous French country house situated on one of the higher hills of the family property. Security lights along the perimeter gave Ben’s ancestral home a comforting glow, though the darkened windows counteracted with that effect. The exterior was a combination of light to medium red bricks. Ben explained it was a three-level house with bedrooms on the top two floors.

He had Rey park the Mercedes in the _porte-cochère_ , the covered carport separating the garage from the house, and they entered through a side door into a huge gourmet kitchen.

“Mia said the cook left a lasagna for us. We only need to heat it up, but I’m still not hungry yet,” he said, and showed her everything in the area. “You eat whenever and whatever you want.”

The master bedroom was on this floor, and they stepped slowly inside. It looked lived-in; the bed was still unmade and Leia’s reading glasses and slippers were near a chair in a corner nook. It looked as though she might walk in any minute now to wind down for the evening.

“I’ll find something to take back to her tomorrow. She’ll be more comfortable in one of her own robes,” he said. “I was thinking you might want to stay here. The bathroom has a nice tub. You can decompress from the trip well here.”

“Where’s your room?”

He pointed to the ceiling. “Actually one over. We have three additional bedrooms upstairs, but only two are set up for guests. The other one I used as an office.”

“So why can’t I stay closer to you?”

Ben draped his arms loosely around her waist and kissed her forehead. “Because the beds upstairs are like sleeping on boards. I just want you to be comfortable, is all. If Mom were here, she’d insist on putting you in this room. She’s a light sleeper, anyway. She spent most of her time napping on the sofa in her basement office.” His expression turned dark. “Maybe that was part of it, you know? Her body can’t keep up with the work pace anymore.”

He recovered quickly, though, and gave her a slight smile. “Anyway, I feel a bit guilty. I dragged you here without luggage --”

“I chose to come.”

He kissed her. “You should have some nice amenities, at least. The guest room bathrooms are pretty standard.” He looked around the room. “We have plenty of the essentials to get through tonight -- towels, toothpaste… I’ll loan you a sleep shirt and another one for tomorrow.” His gaze landed on a robe laying across the bed.

“I suppose you can borrow this.” When he picked up the blue terry robe, he unfolded it to a monogram stitched in gold thread. _LC_.

“That’s not an O,” he said, brushing his thumb over the letters. “Lando Calrissian. Huh.” He tossed it back.

Rey exhaled. It appeared Lando was spared an awkward confession. “Do you still want me to stay here?”

He made to answer when his phone rang and Mia’s number popped onscreen. “Yes?”

Ben froze in place as he listened, her heart twisting with the changes in his facial expressions. “When? You’re sure?” He looked at Rey and joy radiated across his features. “Oh, thank God. Yes, sure. We’ll be there tomorrow, let her rest.”

He rang off and swept Rey into a bone-crushing hug. “Mom’s out of danger. They upgraded her condition, and she’s alert.”

“Ben, I’m so happy for you. And your mom.” Ben being here had to have helped.

They pulled back and kissed hard. With the weight of worry gone, her Ben was coming back. So was Leia, and Rey couldn’t wait to see his mother’s recovery for herself.

“Are you okay, waiting?” she asked, stroking his face. “I’m fine to go back to the hospital.”

“Mia said she’s sleeping, but definitely we’ll go in the morning.”

Rey accepted that. She suspected if Mia discovered them at the hospital tonight she’d march them right back to Napa. “Your mother’s assistant is quite...protective of your mother.”

“Everybody at Alderaan calls her the Barracuda behind her back.” Ben laughed. “But she’s okay, like a sister to Mom. She’s crazy about you, though.”

“How can you tell?”

“Trust me, I know.” He shook his head, exhaling his frustration. “I tell you, moments like this really speak to you. I have so much to be grateful for.” He picked up the robe again. “I’m glad Lando was here; he had to have been. He may have helped save her life.”

“He wanted me to tell you about him and Leia,” Rey said. “I thought it was your mother’s place to do that.”

“You know, it’s okay. It means she’s not alone, and I won’t have to worry all the time.” Ben turned to her. “You hungry? I’m starved. I could eat that whole pan of lasagna.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: loss of virginity

Between them, they finished half the pan. Afterward, Ben gave Rey the full tour of the house, starting with the finished basement. It thrilled her to learn more about Ben’s youth -- the rowdy billiards matches with his father and Lando, summer sleepovers with friends, and Scouting campouts on the great lawn. Each memory shared seemed to lessen the strain in his voice and on his face.

He saved his room for last. Bachelor Pad Central, with all the toys to keep one from boredom. Rey walked slowly around the perimeter, taking it all in -- the cherry wood furnishings, the elaborate video game setup, the Fender Strat on its stand in the corner.

“You said you didn’t have much to bring to Virginia,” she accused, teasing.

Ben hung back by the door jamb and shrugged. “It’s a room. These are things. I’ve lived fine a whole month without this stuff. There’s nothing here that can’t wait.”

She picked up his gamer headset. “Wedge games, too. He’s got his own Twitch stream. Everybody needs something to release stress.”

“There’s plenty at Skywalker to keep me relaxed already.” He moved closer and kissed her. His touch, the warmth of his body pressed to hers, removed much of the day’s heartache and worry. As he brushed his lips along the top of her head, her gaze fell to his bed -- king-sized with a tufted, wall-mounted headboard. Plenty of room for the two of them, so why was she spending the night on another floor?

She guessed she wasn’t the first girl he’d brought to his room. She hoped she’d be the last, in every respect.

***

After winding down in the media room, relaxing through a rabbit hole assortment of Youtube videos, they kissed goodnight and parted. Despite the upbeat ending to the day, nerves overtook Rey. She drew a bath in Leia’s spacious spa tub and soaked, all the while contemplating her next move.

This was a sensitive time. A late night text from Mia had confirmed that all remained good at the hospital. Ben’s mood had improved significantly, and while Rey had come to interpret his body language as it related to different emotions, he was difficult to read right now. He was content, of course, but was he ready for her?

He’d given her the responsibility of choosing their first time together, and said he wouldn’t turn her away. Would today count as a special circumstance? Even if he turned her down in the gentlest way imaginable, she didn’t want to react like a spoiled brat. She’d displayed enough of that bad behavior after Luke died.

Earlier today, in Virginia, she’d walked to the winery with the intention of telling Ben she wanted to make love. Neither of them had expected a phone call to change their lives and take them cross country.

While she bathed, she set her phone on the edge of the built-in tub and listened to another episode of Dr. Maz’s podcast, the fifth since Jannah recommended it to her. The renowned therapist was discussing intimacy during times of tension. It seemed the appropriate topic to hear right now, and everything Dr. Maz said drew from plain common sense.

“I personally believe there is neither a right nor wrong time for sexual pleasure, it is simply your time. Now...bear in mind I’m not speaking of outlier incidents like sneaking into a supply closet at work,” the woman said with a tinkling laugh. “Let’s say your partner is hurting emotionally. Your first instinct might be to give them space. It may be what they need, but what if they desire physical contact to see them through the darkest point?

“This is why communication is important at any stage of a relationship. You must remain open,” Dr. Maz said. “You can anticipate how a person may react to an action, but when you reach out and vocalize your concerns -- be direct with your partner -- you’ll find your bond strengthens.”

Rey turned off the recording and lifted herself from the tub, processing Dr. Maz’s words. Had she and Ben been direct with each other this past month? They had fallen into busy work schedules, and when able to carve alone time together they spent it talking about their lives in general.

She slipped on the 49ers t-shirt he’d given her for sleeping. The hem just skimmed the lower curve of her ass; she’d rinsed out her bra and underwear and left them to dry on the towel rack. Underneath the soft cotton shirt she felt cool and aroused. She only had to lift the frayed collar to her face to note his scent, still evident despite time spent in a drawer.

The house was quiet. Leia had no live-in help. Rey turned out the lights in Leia’s room and moved slowly in the dark up the carpeted stairs to Ben’s floor. His room was last on the left down the hallway, and light spilled from the open door.

Ben lay on the top sheet on the bed, clad only in his black boxer briefs, with his eyes closed. A book was splayed over his chest, and the movement of his breathing threatened to cause it to slide down one side. His face was turned toward the door, and Rey noticed the hint of a smile.

Just as she had once or twice before at home, she watched him sleep and longed to slip in next to him. Even if nothing beyond cuddling happened tonight, she wanted to at least wake up in his arms.

Ben groaned and opened his eyes. Their gazes locked and the smile faded. “ _Chérie_ , what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Rey slid through the crack in the doorway. “I just don’t want to sleep by myself tonight. Can I stay here with you?”

He smiled. “I was hoping you’d come up.”

Rey felt relief at the answer. “Then why put me downstairs in the first place?”

“I was also hoping you’d decided I was too chivalrous for my own damn good. Get in here with me.” He removed the book, patted the mattress in invitation, and reached over the side to bring up the comforter.

Rey pulled the thick, downy material over her legs and up to her breasts. When she made to turn over to let Ben spoon her, he reached around and cupped her bottom, keeping her in place.

"Is this your way of saying it’s time?" he asked.

His gaze panned from her face down the gap formed by the stretched out collar of her shirt. He wanted to see more; unlike Ben, she had refrained from obvious displays of skin under the pretense of exercise. The clear desire shining through his eyes emboldened her.

Be direct. "Yes. _Oui_."

Their kiss started softly, searching and wet, and increased in urgency the closer he held her. Rey felt Ben's hands everywhere, up her back and between her thighs, like he couldn't decide where to touch first. The way he pinned her left her arms nearly immobile and she wriggled to free herself to reciprocate.

She went straight for the waistband of his boxers, pushing at the elastic. When he brushed his fingers down and under her pussy she yelped right into his mouth.

Ben broke it off, gasping. "How do you want it, Rey? Tell me how to make love to you."

_Open the lines of communication…_ Rey banished ancient Dr. Maz's voice from her head. "I want you to go down on me," she said. "Make me come that way."

"Yes." He snaked a hand up the front of her shirt.

"Then I want to suck your cock and make sure you're hard."

"God, yes." His body tightened.

"Then I want to be on top," she said. She wanted to control the big moment, and take him at her pace. She moved free of his grasp to offer him a preview, straddling him at the hips. Her bare pussy grazed the firm cotton of his boxers, and settled on his cock.

He twitched beneath her and she gasped. She anted up by removing her shirt, baring herself completely to him. So worth it for his awed reaction.

" _Chérie, tu es magnifique._ " He curled one hand on her bent thigh and reached for her breast with the other.

"Ben." His simple words made her wet. "Stay in French, please."

" _Oui. Viens ici_." Come here.

She obeyed and Ben rose to capture her nipple between his lips. He swirled his tongue slowly to harden it, then worked on the other one. Every new place he kissed or touched set off shivers and Rey responded by riding the raised indentation in his shorts. The deeper she pivoted, the more her clit rubbed against him, but she paused when a faint tingling signaled her growing excitement. This wasn’t how she intended to come.

Ben seemed to sense it as well. “ _Arrêtes. Laisse moi te goûter_.” Taking her waist, he nudged her off and guided her to lay back, and pushed off the comforter. Starting at her neck, he kissed down and around the curve of one breast while fondling the other, then licked a trail past her navel down to her cleft. He hooked his arms under her thighs so that her legs draped over his back.

“ _Magnifique_ ,” he repeated, so close she felt his exhale on her pussy. Ben kept his eyes closed as he traced the edges of her cunt with his tongue. Pure, delicious torture. Rey gave a hard squeeze in response, which only seemed to encourage him. He sucked in one of her inner labia, then the other, then licked long, lazy circles around her clitoral hood.

“Ben,” she wailed, and clawed at him. He kept the slow pace for her benefit, all the while caressing her belly and breasts. Too many sensations at once drove her wild, and she wanted it to end and go on forever at the same time. She’d guessed correctly about his mustache as well. The coarse hair bit and teased and tickled the whole time Ben ate her, and when her orgasm hit she wanted it soaked.

His eyes opened when she climaxed and crushed her thighs around him. She saw his face turn red and felt his tongue rapidly tap at her clit to draw as much from her as possible. No matter how hard she bucked she couldn’t dislodge him, so she rode Ben’s face until the sensations turned too painful to fight.

“Ben, let me have you now,” she begged.

He raised up on his knees and licked her cum from his mustache. " _Tu es si délicieux._ ” He was off the bed only for a moment, and Rey watched his erection jut out from his boxers as he removed them. Holy fuck. She’d thought their one night of exploration in the winery would have prepared her for this moment, but this first good look at his hard prick... _whoa_.

She moved to a kneeling position on the mattress and met him at the edge of the bed. She applied what she’d learned from the podcast episode on oral sex, and worked up enough saliva to wet Ben’s cock and make for an easy glide down.

Holding him at the root of his cock, she licked his circumcised head and worked up and down his shaft like eating ice cream. Taste, sense five, in the most intimate sense. Ben grasped her shoulders for balance and began a gentle thrusting rhythm once she took him deep into her mouth. Once set, he explored further, rubbing down her back and lifting her hair, presumably to see better.

The French spilled from his lips rapidly, his voice hoarse. She caught a few words but the rest blurred in her brain.

She closed her eyes and kept her cadence, and let the fantasy take hold. She imagined them in Burgundy, making love in a secluded cottage in the country. After a while, though, Ben moved away, keeping his hold on her. “ _Nous devons_ ,” he warned. We must. We must stop, she guessed. He would have come in her mouth if not for that.

She scooted back so he could lie down again, and she straddled his thighs, settling behind his cock. Rey took him in both hands, stroking and up down until a few drops of precum dribbled out. She couldn’t resist; she swiped her thumb across to pick up a taste.

“Rey, please,” he begged her, forgetting himself.

Rey let Ben help her. She kegeled when the tip of his cock pressed into her but she willed herself to relax and take him. _This is what you want, what you’ve wanted_. He stretched her and the sensation burned, but once fully seated she took in a deep breath and reveled quietly in the moment.

Looking down at Ben, she tried to smile through the initial pain, and lowered herself when he reached to cup her face.

“ _Chérie, je t'aime_ ,” he whispered.

He may as well have touched her heart. “ _Je t'aime, cher_.”

They made love slowly first, kissing deeply while Rey rocked back and forth and lost track of all time. Soon Ben began to thrust up to meet her every stroke down on him, and she tried to match his speed. He’d been tortured long enough and needed to come, and didn’t protest when he grasped her tight to him and rolled them over without breaking contact.

Ben rocked his hips to further nudge her legs apart, and stroked hard into her. Rey reached back for something to hold and, finding it difficult to grasp the padded headboard, clutched Ben’s shoulders. She touched her forehead to his, focused on the pleasure shaping his features.

“ _Je t'aime...je t'aime.._.” He repeated those words over and over, his voice raising as he got closer. When he came with a loud cry she felt it inside her. He shuddered to a stop, and pressed hard into her before collapsing.

Despite the weight of him, she never felt lighter or happier in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Chérie, tu es magnifique. - "Darling, you are beautiful."  
> 2\. Oui. Viens ici. - "Yes. Come here."  
> 3\. Arrêtes. Laisse moi te goûter. - "Stop. Let me taste you."  
> 4\. Tu es si délicieux. - "You are so delicious."  
> 5\. Nous devons - "We must..."  
> 6\. Chérie, je t'aime - "Darling, I love you."


	29. Chapter 29

They’d shifted positions in the night, tangled in the top sheet and each other. Rey’s eyelids twitched with the first hint of sunlight coming through the bedroom windows and she fought her internal clock. She had no work at the inn today; she only wanted to lay wrapped in Ben’s arms and recover.

Morning got to him as well. Ben groaned and stretched, still in a semi-prone position, his hardening cock pressed to her leg. “You may have set a dangerous precedent,” he said by way of greeting.

“How’s that?” Her voice was heavy with sleep.

“I’m going to make love to you again.” He kissed her neck. “And every morning from here on out.”

“I’m still reeling from last night.” Indeed, her thighs and pussy ached. Not that she’d turn him down again…

Ben touched two fingers to her chin and turned her to look into his eyes. “I know a remedy. The more you do it, the less it hurts.”

“What if you don’t mind the hurt?”

Ben smiled. He took her more gently this time, from behind in a reclining position. Rey rested her head against his neck and braced herself on the mattress to keep from falling forward, though Ben had a strong hold on her. Until he wet two fingers and reached over to rub her clit while he pistoned into her.

“I want you to come on my cock,” he said. “I need to feel that.”

“ _En français, s'il te plaît_ ,” Rey chided.

“ _Ne me fais pas supplier._ ”

He need not have worried about having to beg for it. Rey’s orgasm hit and she clamped down hard on him in response. It was enough to send Ben tumbling after her. Afterward, she rolled forward and he slipped out of her.

“Okay,” he said, patting her leg. “See you at lunch for the nooner?”

“Funny.” she turned back and kissed him. “Ben,” she said, her breathing heavy as she recovered. “I swear, I’m hearing bells.”

Ben’s features pulled into a frown. “Weird. I’m hearing something, too.”

Rey held her breath and listened. The bells were gone. “Sounds like a dog barking now. Would there be one outside?”

“No, that’s coming from _inside_. Wait here,” he said, and got out of bed. He grabbed a pair of jeans draped over a chair and slid them on before leaving to investigate, zipping and buckling as he walked out.

Rey held the sheets to her chest, but as the sound grew louder she reached for the nightshirt and put it back on. Seconds later, a giant, wagging Golden Retriever trotted into the room, Ben close behind.

“Who is this?” she asked. Why was Ben not smiling when this dog was obviously so thrilled to be here?

“This is Chewbacca, a very good friend of mine.” Ben watched as Chewbacca lifted his front paws on the bed to sniff her out. “Chewie, no.

“He must have come in through the dog door. Mom didn’t latch it. Chewie, sit,” he ordered and the dog obeyed.

“Is he a neighbor’s dog?”

“No. This means we have another visitor.” Right on cue, Ben’s phone vibrated against the top of his nightstand. Rey caught the name of the caller just as he snatched it up to answer.

“Yeah?” he answered tersely, and paced the room. Rey sat cross-legged on the bed, watching him while idly stroking Chewbacca’s fur.

“He’s here, he came in through the dog door…I’ll bring him down, how about you meet me at the winery in about twenty minutes?” Ben glanced at her with exhaustion and pointed at the phone. “Because I’m not dressed, and I’m not alone...We will meet at the winery, this is not your house anymore. Goodbye.”

Ben held his phone high for a moment, as though wanting to throw it. Instead, he dropped it on the bed and pulled clothes out from his chest of drawers. “That was the doorbell you heard. My father is here,” he said. “I don’t want him in the house poking around.”

“Should I wait here?” She almost hoped he’d say yes. Luke had been the closest thing she had to a father, and even in their tensest times she never pictured herself talking to him the way Ben did his dad. They clearly had issues, and she wasn’t sure if she should come in between it.

Ben shut the drawer and turned to her. The tension melted from his face and shoulders. “Please come? You should meet my father, and I think I’d act more calmly with you there. I have no idea what he wants.”

“I would hope he’s checking on Leia.”

Ben gestured his uncertainty. “He can call the hospital and do that. No, this is something else, and whatever it is I want this visit to be as brief as possible.” He tossed his clothes on the bed and beckoned her closer. He lifted the hem of her shirt and tossed it away, and slid his hands around her bare skin, joining them at the small of her back.

“I'm sorry. This is not what I planned for us today,” he said, kissing her cheek.

Rey pressed her breasts against him, savoring the skin-on-skin contact. Taking his mind off familial strife, she hoped, might lighten his mood. “What did you have in mind?”

“I wanted to take Mom something from her favorite bakery, and return here afterward for some quality time in the hot spring.” He nuzzled her ear. “Then more quality time in bed. We might eat, too.”

“You have a hot spring on property?”

“There’s one not far, private. It’s kind of shared with a few families around here. Nobody would bother us,” he said. “I used to sneak friends back there to drink and smoke.”

“What else did you do in it?” Rey’s mind bloomed with the possibilities.

Ben pinned her with a look.

“I’ll get dressed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. En français, s'il te plaît - "In French, please."  
> 2\. Ne me fais pas supplier - "Don't make me beg."


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A most unusual pairing is revealed in this chapter. I couldn't even find a relationship tag for it, so maybe this is the first one? :-D

Her underthings had dried overnight. Ben loaned her a white turtleneck with the promise to shop later, but she was pleased to have another of his shirts.

Ben found an old leash in the mud room, grabbed a bottled water, and escorted Rey and Chewie outside. Though they could have walked to the main Alderaan buildings, Ben suggested they drive so they could go on to the hospital from there. Chewie leaped into the backset of the Mercedes and Ben lowered one window for him.

“To give you a heads up,” Ben told her on the drive down, “I can’t predict how Phasma will act. Dad will be okay, I think, but Phasma might try to corner you and give you the third degree. Or ignore you completely.”

“I’ll be fine, Ben.” She squeezed his hand when he offered it.

Rey didn’t get a good look at the winery when they first arrived, and now she marveled at its structure. The tasting room was huge and had been built in a French _château_ style, three floors high with grand windows on the facade. The exterior showed some age, but Rey thought the place had character.

Ben tied Chewie’s leash to a chair leg by the entrance, filled a nearby dog bowl, and coaxed the pooch to sit before showing Rey the inside. The interior had been clearly modernized with different tasting stations and elegant furniture. Along the walls hung large photographs of Alderaan’s history, including portrayals of the family out in the vines. Rey’s attention landed on one in particular, that of a young Leia holding her toddler son, showing him a tight bunch of grapes.

Open for the day’s business only fifteen minutes ago, the place was already bustling with activity. People waited in a queue for a station to open up. Ben gestured to a far corner where an older man stood with a statuesque blonde and two small children.

Mr. Solo, Mrs. Solo, and all the little Solos.

“Here goes,” he murmured. “Hang back a sec. This could get intense.”

As he approached the group, the little girl caught sight of him and her face lit up. “It’s Ben!” she shrieked, and ran toward him. Like her mother she had golden hair, and she wore a dress with watermelon slice prints. Rey eyed her at five or six years old.

Ben smiled and hunched down to welcome the little girl’s hug. He swept her into the air. “ _Bonjour, ma petite jolie_ ,” he said, and kissed her cheek. 

“ _Tu as une moustache_.” She rubbed her fingers against it and he laughed.

“ _Oui, oui. Tu m'as manqué. Est-ce pour moi_?” Ben reached for a crayon-drawn card in her hand.

“ _C'est pour_ Madame Leia,” the girl said.

“ _Bien. Merci._ ” Ben balanced the girl on his hip. “Honey, that is so nice, thank you. I’m going to see her today and I’ll make sure she gets it.”

Rey watched how Ben engaged with his younger half-sister and fought back tears. She thought back to Luke’s evaluation of Han’s other children as “bratlings,” and hoped now he’d meant the term with some affection. Whatever resentment Ben held for his father and wife, it obviously didn’t pass down to his siblings.

The other child, a boy with the same hair color, clung to Han Solo’s leg and watched the reunion play out. Ben beckoned him closer but the boy shook his head. “ _Non?_ ” Ben cajoled. “ _Bien. Je serai là, copain_.”

Ben walked back to Rey, whispering to the little girl, “I want you to meet somebody special. Jaina, this is my very good friend, Rey.”

Rey waited for Jaina to respond first. The girl’s sunny mood turned subdued on the introduction. Jaina eyed Rey with suspicion but, presumably for Ben’s approval, finally said, “ _Bonjour_.”

“ _Bonjour_ , Jaina. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Jaina gave Ben a look of triumph. “She can’t speak French like you and me.”

The girl was clearly marking her territory. Rey wanted to laugh at the odd feeling of _déjà vu_ , and decided to let Jaina have her victory. “I’m afraid not, but you speak it well. Maybe you could teach me?”

Yeah, not happening. Jaina held Ben tighter and he beckoned for Rey to follow. “Jacen’s shy around strangers. Not like his sister,” he warned.

Their mother, on the other hand, gave off an entirely predatory aura. Rey was no fashionista, but she knew enough to recognize the low-heeled Manolo pumps and the light red Birkin bag on her arm, to match the color of her chic pantsuit. Next to her husband, in his worn bomber jacket and jeans, she looked overdressed.

Han pointed to his own upper lip, indicating Ben’s mustache. “You grew it back.”

“By request.” Ben glanced at Rey.

“About time you got around to us,” Mrs. Solo said.

“Phasma, please,” Han muttered, and gestured to the child now squeezed between them.

This close to Ben, Rey’s own body turned cold at the way he stiffened. He shot daggers of pure ice looking at Han’s second wife. The chill between them spoke of an indifference that seemed to have a history. Nonetheless, he kept his words civil for the sake of his siblings.

“You know how it is. There’s a hierarchy.” Ben grinned at Jaina and set her down; she dragged her brother off to a table where another woman sat. He then introduced Rey as his girlfriend.

Phasma, having a good foot’s height on Rey, peered down at her. “Aren’t you Luke’s _daughter_?”

“No.” Rey got it now, the tension between new family and old. Ben’s hand came around her waist and she focused on his touch. “Luke and I were not blood relatives.”

“Oh.” Phasma kissed Han’s cheek and said, “The Ackbars just walked in. I’m going to say hello.” Off she strutted in those perfect pumps, which probably cost the total amount of Rey’s entire wardrobe.

“I’m sorry about her.” Han looked visibly embarrassed by his wife’s behavior. “Obviously, it’s not been a good week and we’re all on edge.”

“Well, this is a winery. Maybe drinking will help.” Ben focused on his father now, relaxing a bit. “We’ll get a bottle.” Ben tugged at Rey to follow but Han cut his hand between them.

“Or, I’ll escort Rey to our table. I won’t bite.” Han looked between them with a lopsided smile. Ben’s discomfort was evident, but Rey said she’d be fine.

Ben relented and took long strides to the main bar, where he was immediately recognized and swarmed by staff and patrons alike. Rey followed Han to the long table by the windows, opposite the end where his children sat coloring in books. Han indicated the woman was their _au pair_.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said when they sat. “Luke was a good man. Leia told me he was like a father to you.”

“He was. I miss him very much. We all do.”

Han hunched forward, twining his fingers and resting them on the table. “I never did get over to the vineyards over there. Too much here to keep me occupied.” He glanced back at his small children. “Never a good time, or I kept finding excuses.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Rey said, wondering if she should put forward an invitation, even this casual one. Han Solo would do as he wished, but it was probably too soon to determine whether or not Ben would welcome a visit.

“You run the inn with Luke’s ladyfriend?”

“Ahsoka. She adopted me when I was young.” Rey sensed small talk wasn’t the older man’s forte and decided to steer for a bit. “You have beautiful children,” she said and he glanced back at them again. “Your daughter speaks French well.”

“They go to a private school where it’s in the curriculum. Can you believe that, teaching foreign language so early?” He laughed at the perceived absurdity of it.

“It’s the best time to learn, I understand. The sooner they’re exposed to it, the better,” Rey said.

Han nodded toward the main tasting bar. “Ben spoke French exclusively to them for years. Pissed Phasma off to no end. She was convinced he was speaking in code to them, plotting against her.”

Surely that wasn’t the root of their shared acrimony? “I doubt he meant any harm. Ben and I converse in French when we can, to keep my skills up.”

“You’re quite young, aren’t you?” Han looked at her, then hung his head. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”

“What was rude?”

Ben set down an ice bucket with an uncorked Chardonnay while an accompanying server followed with glasses. Ben brought a pair of juice boxes to the other end of the table, getting a stiff hug from his half-brother, before rejoining the adults.

“I think the mustache scares him,” Ben said. “He’s never seen me with one.”

Han glanced over at Phasma, still chatting up the Ackbars. “We can start without her,” he said, and watched Ben complete short pours for all the glasses. “She may not come back, the way Ackbar’s wife likes to talk.”

His gaze fell on Rey again, raising her hackles and prompting Ben to say, “Whatever you came here to tell me, she can hear it. We’re together.”

“Fair enough.” Han pinned Rey with his tired eyes. “Maybe you can relay to my son later how it hurts he came into town without so much as a text.”

“My mother is in the hospital. I wasn’t thinking of anybody else.” Ben’s voice was low but searing hot. “Forgive me for not alerting everybody in town.”

“I care about your mother, too, you know. I’ve been to see her. Lando keeps me updated.”

Rey wondered if Han knew about Leia and Lando.

“So you drove all the way here to scold me for not texting?”

“I wanted to talk to you about the sale.” He pointed at Rey. “I take it she knows?”

“She does. What of it?”

“I want Leia to reconsider, at least for a year.” Han’s gaze shifted nervously around the vast tasting room, as though searching for spies. “We have parties interested in filing an IPO.”

Ben’s face turned to stone. “Alderaan has always been a private venture. Mom would never take it public.” He sipped from his glass, looking absent. “Not that it matters. Once she sells, you can do whatever the hell you want.”

“That’s the issue, son. These potential investors still want Leia in the company. She’s been the face of Alderaan wines for over two decades. They feel if we rebrand, the stock won’t have the same value without her than if she stays.”

Ben rubbed the stem of his glass. “So you rebrand, build up a reputation, then go public yourself. Mother even agreed to a transition period, helping on a consultation basis after the sale.”

“All well and good, son, but it could take years that way.” Han gestured to himself. “As you can see, I probably don’t have many left.”

“Surely you don’t expect me to bring this up to my mother while she’s lying in a hospital bed, recovering from a _heart attack_?” Ben’s voice rose again and Rey set her hand on his thigh to temper it.

“She doesn’t have to steer the ship, Ben. If she wants, she can step down as CEO but stay on in some capacity as a spokesperson. If she only continued with the commercials and print advertising that would be enough,” Han said. “I appreciate that she wants to wind down; she’s earned it. I’m not trying to work her to death...I just need her.”

He looked down the table. “They need her. I’m not doing this just for me.”

Ben followed his father’s gaze. Little Jaina caught sight of them and scrambled down from her chair. In seconds she was on Ben’s lap.

“Ben, _s'il te plait reviens_ ,” she said. Please come back.

“ _Je ne peux pas, ma jolie fille_.” He shook his head, looking sad. “I told you, I live in Virginia now. I have a new job, and lots of people are counting on me.”

Rey tried to focus on her wine. She realized Ben had been speaking in French to Jaina that day she found him in the office.

“We need you, too,” the girl said, pouting. Ben glowered at his father, as though silently accusing him of putting Jaina up to this.

“I know, honey, but I can’t move all those vines over here. You can still call me anytime you want, and I will answer my phone no matter what. And you know you and Jacen are invited to visit me. I hope that’s soon.” He kissed her downy head. “Okay?”

“Okay.” The girl moped, and Rey expected tears. Her eyes turned glassy just as Phasma came forward to collect her.

“What did you do?” she snapped at Ben when the girl’s tears came in earnest. Han looked uncomfortable at the scene when his wife redirected her ire. “I told you we should have left them at home. This is too much.”

“And if we had, and Jaina found out Ben was here and she didn’t get to see him… then what? You’d rather deal with _that_ meltdown?” Han barked. He spoke more softly to Ben. “We should go. How long are you in town?”

“I don’t know. At least until Mom is released and home safe,” he said. “I’ll talk to her when she’s up to it, but I’m not guaranteeing anything.”

Han nodded. It was the best Ben could offer.

Phasma hugged Jaina to her and cooed her to a calmer state. The _au pair_ came around with Jacen and Ben said his goodbyes. Jaina whimpered over Phasma’s shoulder and Ben stroked her hair to get her to smile. “I promise I’ll see you again. Look.”

Rey watched as Ben took off his college ring and put it in Jaina’s hand. “I’m going to let you borrow this, okay? You can’t lose it, because when I see you again I’ll ask for it back. Can you hold onto this for me?” The girl nodded and Ben kissed her forehead.

He then knelt down before Jacen. “I didn’t forget you, sport. I need you to hang onto this for me.”

Rey saw Phasma’s eyes widen, close to bugging out altogether. “You’re actually giving a four-year-old your Rolex?” she cried.

“Yes, because he's my brother and I trust him with it.” Ben accepted Jacen’s hug while Phasma started for the door, muttering about Ben’s obvious insanity. Jacen clutched the watch in his fist as the _au pair_ led him away. Han clapped his oldest son on the shoulder without another word, and just like that the family meeting had ended.

They’d left behind two untouched glasses of Chardonnay and two half-filled. Ben returned to the table looking as though he wanted to drain every one.

Rey put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed him down. “How are you?”

“That was better than expected,” he said. “I no doubt did Dad any favors with my parting gifts.”

“I thought it was sweet. Those kids seem to worship you, especially Jaina.”

“I’m her bestest friend,” he said as Rey took back her seat. “Phasma finds it ridiculous, but those kids are my family and I love them. Phasma doesn’t like that they took to me so well, and I’m sure she’ll harp about that watch for weeks. Anyway,” he shrugged, “I know Jaina will outgrow her little crush. They’re good kids, but sometimes it irritates me to think Phasma had them for insurance.”

Rey understood. Two children amounted to significant child support, in the event, plus what inheritance Han would leave them.

“I hate to waste this.” Ben gestured to the wine. “But I want to get to the hospital.”

Rey said nothing. Ben took her hand and squeezed. His thumb found her spot and stroked. “You okay?” he asked. “I can see the cogs spinning.”

“Just looking at you look at your father’s wife, and her looking back.” Her stomach roiled. “She wasn’t...the college girlfriend who wanted to wait?”

Ben recoiled. “Oh, lord, don’t put those thoughts in my head,” he said. “Rey, no. Phasma and I were never a couple, or anything. She did hit on me once at a party, before France, but she got nowhere.” He glowered, sipping his wine. “From there she went to the next in line.”

“You don’t have to tell me the whole story if it’s too painful.”

“It’s done,” he said. “Funny enough, it’s better this way. Lando is good for Mom, and Dad has a wife he can show off to his buddies.” Ben caught her eyes and must have seen something dire. His face went slack. “Rey, what is it?”

She shook away her doubts. “I was hoping I wasn’t looking into the future.”

“Look at me instead.”

Rey met his eyes. He pointed to his face.

“This is your future.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Bonjour, ma petite jolie - "Hello, my little pretty one."  
> 2\. Tu as une moustache - "You have a mustache."  
> 3\. Oui, oui. Tu m'as manqué. Est-ce pour moi? - "Yes, yes. I missed you. Is it for me?"  
> 4\. Bien. Je serai là, copain. - "Okay. I'll be there, buddy."  
> 5\. Ben, s'il te plait reviens. - "Ben, please come back."  
> 6\. Je ne peux pas, ma jolie fille - "I can't, my pretty girl."


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content notes: rimming, rough oral
> 
> I've upgraded the story to explicit, due to this chapter.
> 
> The final chapters will be posted tomorrow, 2/2/21. Happy early Valentine's. :-)

They arrived at Leia’s hospital room to a most welcome sight -- Leia sitting upright with a smile. When she saw Ben she let out a cry of pure joy. “Ben, your face! How long have I been asleep?”

“Very funny.” Ben brought over a small pink box tied in string and Jaina’s get well card, setting them aside before kissing his mother’s forehead. “Please don’t do this to me again,” he said.

“Yes, son, it’s all about you.” Leia laughed as she scolded him.

Ben pulled up a chair and took her hand. “I mean it. You had everybody at Skywalker and Alderaan worried. You even trended on Twitter and gave thousands of people their own heart attacks.”

“Did I?” Leia’s expression spoke of being impressed. “I wonder how many of them posted those funny animated photos, like Denzel Washington sighing in relief because I’m not dead.” She turned her head and saw Rey. “Honey, come here! I’m so glad to see you.”

Rey came around to the other side of the bed, hugging her. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you awake,” she said. “Has the doctor been to see you yet?”

“He was just here. You might have passed him on the way in.”

Ben stood. “I’ll go check.”

Leia took Rey’s hand when he left. “My friend Lando’s here as well. Did Ben see him on the way up, too? He went to get coffee.”

“I met him yesterday, and we didn’t catch him yet.” Rey nodded to the pastry box. “Ben got you some gluten-free biscotti. There should be enough for both of you.”

“Such a sweet boy.” Leia glanced fondly at the gift. “It’s been so long since I’ve had this much male attention. Lando’s been a good friend for years; I’m grateful for his visit.”

“Leia,” Rey kept her voice low, “We found Lando’s robe at the house.”

Leia’s cheeks pinked. “So you two know the other part, too.”

Rey added her other hand to her grip. “It’s fine. Ben is fine with it, but he’s not letting on that he knows because he wants to hear it from you. He doesn’t blame Lando for you getting sick, either. It was just a thing that happened.”

“It’s embarrassing.” Leia’s gaze panned to the open door, as though afraid to let their voices carry. “First time with a man since I don’t when and I end up in the hospital.”

 _Oh dear._ Lando hadn’t mentioned it was their first time. “Leia,” Rey said, “have you talked with your doctor about when you can resume sexual activity?”

“Do I want to?” Leia looked clearly petrified.

“I doubt you’re going to have a heart attack every time. At best, you’ll make some lifestyle changes to improve quality of life. From what Ben was told over the phone last night, you’re going to be fine.”

“We will see. It wasn’t like we were doing anything kinky,” Leia said. She gave a crooked smile. “I figured if I do die unexpectedly, it should be over something fun.”

“Perhaps in another fifty years.” Rey watched the door; no sign of Ben. “Leia,” she said, “at the risk of giving you a relapse, you should know that Ben and I...are together. As in... _together_.”

Leia’s mouth dropped open. Rey’s heart lurched. _No, no, please don’t keel over._

But the older woman drew in a breath and said, “Oh, thank heavens.”

She pulled Rey close with a surge of strength and kissed her hard on the cheek.

“You’re not upset?” Rey asked.

“Upset...honey, I’m thrilled!” Leia dabbed at forming tears. “I’ve worried about Ben for years. He’s had such an awful track record...I was convinced he would end up alone and never have a family of his own.” She rested back, sighing like a weight had been lifted. “You know, I sensed something at Luke’s memorial party when he danced with you. I’d never seen him look at any of his other girlfriends that way. I later chalked it up to an overactive imagination,” she shook her head, “but that’s when it’s started, huh?”

For him, anyway. Rey nodded and let it go at that. “My friend Zorii thought you were trying to split us up on the dance floor on purpose.”

“Really?” Leia’s face wrinkled. “If I’d known it would lead to this point I’d have let you keep dancing.”

“Leia, Ben and I hadn’t discussed this, but I imagine he wanted to be the one to tell you…”

“Gotcha.” Leia put a finger to her lips and drew a poker face when Ben returned, Lando in tow.

“I have good news,” Ben said, retaking his chair. “Your doctor says you can be discharged tomorrow morning if your improvement continues.” He kissed Leia’s hand. “Rey and I have been staying in the house, and we’ll stay on through the end of the week if you need us.”

“That’s wonderful, Ben. I do want to go home.”

Rey stood and walked over to Lando. “I think we should give them a moment?” He nodded without a word, and they waited close to the door while mother and son shared their romantic revelations.

Light-hearted talk floated from the room, and Rey stepped deeper into the hall. Lando, further away, looked nervous. “How he’s taking it?”

“Very well. I think we’re both here to stay.”

Lando raised his coffee cup in a salute.

***

With Leia scheduled for a morning discharge, and Mia and Lando keeping her company, Ben agreed to prepare the house for her arrival. Before completing that chore list, though, he told Rey he wanted to get in as much alone time with her as possible.

They conducted a brief phone meeting with Poe on the drive back to Napa, then called Ahsoka to let her know Leia was recovering well. Ben then contacted Leia’s cook and requested she prep meals based on Leia’s doctor’s recommendations, which he would email to her.

Rey set down a bag of extra underwear, t-shirts and other supplies from a detour Target run. They didn’t have swimsuits stocked, and she worried about bathing nude in a hot spring. Not out of modesty. “Exactly how hot are we talking?” she asked. “I fear I’ll be boiled like shrimp.”

“Ninety-eight degrees. I suppose it takes some adjustment, but I’ve never found it unbearable. I will warn you, this is a natural spring so you will smell sulfur.”

“I’ll borrow a clothespin for my nose.”

Up in his room, Ben undressed and encouraged Rey to do the same. “We should shower first,” he said, beckoning her into the bathroom. “Save water.”

“Uh-huh.” No objections there. Rey was dying to use Ben’s shower. The stall was just over four feet wide, tiled in silver gray slabs to match the room’s color scheme. A beveled waterfall shower head hung from the ceiling, and a handheld attachment offered an alternative method for cleaning. It looked like something out of a five-star resort.

“I hope you had this design in mind when you talked about renovating the bathroom at home,” she said, and watched Ben adjust the water. “Why do we have to shower first? I’d think we’d do it after to get the sulfur off.”

“Hot springs are therapeutic. You don’t want to wash the nutrients off your skin.” He slid the door all the way to escort her into the stall. “We shower beforehand to clean our skin and keep the bacteria out of the pool.”

Rey took a bar of soap from its dish and stood just under the spray to get wet. “You sure that’s the only reason?” she asked, working up a lather. “It has nothing to do with getting the sex out of the way in case a van full of nuns shows up for a soak while we’re there?”

“Honestly, you think I’m that devious?” He reached for the soap. "The convent's at least an hour away."

***

Definitely, they were getting this shower installed at home. If she didn’t wrinkle like a prune, she’d have wanted to stay in there all day. The opportunity to soap up Ben front to back, and him with her, provided much incentive as well.

After she rinsed off, Ben bent his torso back to let the water cascade down his front, washing away the suds covering him. What didn’t fade immediately he wiped down until no bubbles remained. Rey moved closer for another kiss when he stopped her.

“I want to try something if you’re willing,” he said. “If you trust me.”

“Of course I do.”

His grin turned wicked, and she tried to guess exactly what he had in mind. He guided her toward the far tile wall, out of the shower head’s range for her. Yet, water continued to spill down his back and head, matting his hair to his ears and neck.

“Turn around, face the wall.” Ben had her spread her feet apart so that one pressed into the corner of the stall. His hands on her hips, he pulled on her so that her backside thrust up and out. The heels of her hands braced the wall before her.

He was going to fuck her from behind. The idea elated her, but she was confused when he denied it.

Ben pressed against her for a moment. His cock rubbed across her bottom and her pussy gave a squeeze in anticipation. “We’ll get there soon enough,” he said. “Right now I want to eat your ass. You ever have that done to you?”

“Are you kidding?” She’d only made love with the man, with any man, for the first time last night.

“I think you’ll like it. If you don’t, we won’t try again.” He kissed her neck, weakening her nerves.

“I trust you, Ben.”

He brought his hands up to cup her breasts. “Just relax. I got you.” Ben laid kisses across both shoulders and down her spine, lowering himself slowly to the shower floor and supporting himself on one knee. He kneaded her nipples, bringing a gasp from her throat, before sliding his hands down to her waist.

The wet tile was warm against Rey’s forehead, due in part to the steam filling the shower stall. She kept her gaze on her feet as she centered on Ben’s touch. Looking down, she saw where he knelt behind her but hadn’t the strength or bravado to attempt turning around to watch.

So she watched his hands, large and dripping water, now clutching her thighs. Her body trembled and her skin came alive, aware of every kiss at the small of her back, then down one cheek to the bottom curve. One of his hands disappeared and she felt a pinch when he pried her apart.

Then he stroked her back hole, slipping a finger inside. She squirmed. She didn’t dislike it. It was just...new.

“I got you,” he said again. “Oh, Rey, you’re so tight. I’d love to fuck you here one day.”

When he replaced his finger with his tongue she nearly jumped, then braced herself to avoid crumpling. _Whoa._ “What are you doing to me?” _And please don’t stop._

His answer was to place one hand over her mound to steady her. With his other hand, he eased two fingers into her cunt and pumped hard, all the while licking in circular motion.

“Fuck!” She barely got the word out. Ben was overwhelming her, and with the tile slick against her hands she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to stand. The low, pleasured groan escaping his mouth as he ate her amplified in the small space and filled her ears. Rey mashed her cheek against the tile, mewling as she surrendered to him.

When a hard-edged tingle bloomed inside her, she was confused. This felt like an orgasm coming, but Ben hadn’t touched her clit. Was this possible for her? She relaxed as Ben intensified his loving assault and it wasn’t long before the wave crested.

“Ben.” She gave a weak cry. “I’m going to come.” Holy shit. She could actually do this.

His response was to push in his tongue and increase his speed with his fingers. Rey’s legs turned to rubber but she managed to hold on through the crash. She reared her head back and keened out her release, stretching his name for several seconds so loud she thought the glass might crack.

Movement beneath her brought her gaze to the floor. Ben flipped over to sit and moved his face between her thighs, then jammed his tongue into her cunt. The breath left her body and she writhed, supported only by a hand pressed to her back. He drank hard from her and reduced her to a quivering, sated mess.

“ _Ben! Fuck! Yes!_ ” Over and over. He brought her exquisite pain and pleasure, joy to the point of tears. She looked down between her legs and noticed him shaking. Craning her head behind her, she saw Ben was jacking himself off. Thin ropes of cum shot from the head of his cock yet he kept his passion quiet.

Ben released his hold with a deep breath and kissed her pussy, then the juncture between her labia and inner thigh, then nuzzled her skin. Slowly he brought her down to straddle his chest and she stretched her legs behind her to lie with him on the shower floor. Their backs were to the wall, wet and slick. They were breathing hard, unable to speak, and watching the waterfall shower head rain down on them.

Ben found his voice first. “Did you like that?”

“Yes,” Rey said after coming down from that incredible high. “But if you do that to me again you might kill me.”

***

Getting to the hot spring required a short drive from the house. Leia owned an off-road vehicle used for roaming the acreage, and Ben drove Rey in it past the winery down a back road leading to a clearing with a beautiful view of the mountains. It reminded Rey of Shenandoah, and for a brief moment she felt homesick for Skywalker.

The spring wasn’t large, a simple oblong pool bordered by rocks, situated in the middle of the plain. Ben parked the buggy close by and grabbed their towels. “We won’t spend too long in it, about twenty minutes,” he explained. “If the smell doesn’t get to you. I’m used to it.”

“It looks so intimate for being out in the open like this.” Rey looked around, unable to see a house. “Are we on Skywalker property?”

“Technically, no.” They’d come in the loosest attire available to them and began to undress. “This part had been under dispute when my grandfather was alive. Since nobody plants out here, the neighboring families eventually came to a gentleman’s agreement to share the spring. My mother doesn’t get out here much, so it’s worked out for everybody.”

On instinct, Rey covered her bare breasts with her arms. “And if we meet one of your neighbors today?”

Ben had stepped into the pool, hissing at first contact with the hot water. “They won’t. I made a few calls.” This particular spring appeared quite shallow, the water coming up to Ben’s thighs. “I had to let them know Mom was okay, too.”

He held out hand and helped Rey into the water. Bless it all, the spring was hot, and she wrinkled her nose at the sulfurous odor. After a few minutes, Rey sitting on Ben’s lap as they soaked, it wasn’t so bad. Their continuous necking helped her to pay no mind to it.

In the moments they relaxed and enjoyed the view, Rey allowed the heat to work out the tension in her lower back and neck. She continued to ache elsewhere from Ben’s insatiable attentions, but knew that would subside in time. “It must have been difficult for you to leave here, it’s so beautiful,” she said. “You’ve lived here all your life.”

“It was. I love it here. At least it’s not like moving to a city,” he said. “Some days when I’m out in the vines at Skywalker, I’ll look around and see something that reminds me of home. It’s comforting.” Ben brushed his lips across her shoulder; his whiskers left a trail of gooseflesh.

“Do you think you’ll come back here to live one day?”

“I don’t know.” He grasped her tighter around the waist. “Would you come with me if I did?”

Rey hesitated. Leave the inn, Ahsoka, everything she’d known? Of course, Ben had done similar, but the prospect of a new job across the country probably didn’t scare him as much as it did her. She hoped he didn’t hate her answer.

“I don’t know.” She had to be honest. “In my heart, I think, my first instinct would be yes, but what would I do here if there’s no winery to help run? Assuming your father takes it public it wouldn’t pass down to you, right?”

“His shares might, but not all of them.” Ben nuzzled her neck. “I appreciate your answer. I wouldn’t force you to do anything. Although,” he moved her so they could stand and leave the pool, “maybe the house could be converted to an inn one day.”

“You are always full of ideas.” She loved him for that.

Ben gave her a leering smile. “I have a great one now.”


	32. Chapter 32

After a thorough cleaning of Leia’s master suite, Ben received a call from Mia to say Leia requested to have the media room set up as her base of operations during home recovery. This required more preparation, which Rey handled while Ben greeted Leia’s personal chef and helped store her delivery. Lando’s SUV arrived just after nine the next day, the patient walking on her own and waving away any fuss.

“All I need is the remote, my laptop, and good company,” Leia said, settling into one of the recliners. “And I won’t be using the computer much for the next several days, except to answer personal correspondence.” She cast a stern glance at Mia. “Doctor’s orders.”

Rey got from the tone of Leia’s voice that Mia had taken over operations at Alderaan and intended to keep her boss offline as much as possible. If it got Ben’s mother back to full health, she’d gladly defer to the Barracuda.

Lando grasped Leia’s hand for a moment and squeezed. “I’ll get you something to drink,” he said, and kissed her before heading into the kitchen.

“I’ll supervise,” Mia said and followed.

Ben watched the assistant leave, looking amused. “She alright?” he asked Leia.

Leia bade them to sit. “You know Mia. The woman has zero sense of subtlety. That dual exit was entirely orchestrated by me to give the three of us a moment alone.” She took each of them by the hand. “I have so much to tell you, I don’t know where to start.”

“How about with the bad news first? Let’s get it out of the way,” Ben said. Rey watched his face pale with assumptions of the worst.

“Ben, there is no bad news. At least, not healthwise. And in this case the term bad is relative.”

Ben rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You’re stalling.”

“I am.” His mother nodded. “It’s only because I’m so grateful the two of you are here. I honestly believe your presence helped me pull through, and I will never forget it.” She let go of their hands and opened her purse. “That said, I have something for you. A thank you gift, if you will.”

Rey recognized the folded papers as boarding passes. “Leia, you didn’t have to pay for our trip home.”

“It’s the least I could do. You flew out here with little notice; that couldn’t have been cheap.”

Ben inspected the tickets. “Mom, this flight leaves in four hours,” he said.

“I know.”

He gaped at her for a second. “So, to show your gratitude, you’re kicking us out. Today.”

“They’re first class seats, Ben. It’s not as harsh a gesture as you’re thinking,” Leia said, sounding exasperated. “There’s nothing I’d love more than to have the both of you here forever, but it’s not supposed to be that way. You have businesses to run, and you are needed in Virginia.”

Leia waved for Rey to pass over an afghan draped over the sofa arm. “I am fine now. I may be fine the rest of the year and for the next decade, but a thought occurred to me while I was lying in that hospital bed last night. Ben, I can’t have you dropping everything to be with me every time something goes wrong. That’s not your responsibility,” she said. “Especially now, with you and Rey together, you two need to focus on each other, and on Skywalker. Whatever happens to me will, regardless of where you are in the world.”

Rey saw the emotions flicker on Ben’s face. He processed everything his mother said, and slowly came to agree with her. “I don’t like the idea of you being in this big house all alone, though,” he told her. “It was fortunate Lando was here...imagine if you’d had that heart attack with nobody around. Is he going to move in?”

“No, and actually that’s the second thing I have to tell you.” Leia folded her hands in her lap. “I spoke to your father this morning, and I’ve conceded to hold off on a sale to help negotiate this IPO.” Before Ben could speak, she rejoined with, “In exchange, Han is going to buy the house.”

Her words struck both of them. Five generations of the Skywalker family had lived in this place, expanding the home over the years. Now Phasma Solo would be lady of the manor. Rey took Ben’s hand and stroked that spot between the thumb and forefinger, as he’d done often with her.

“You’re right about the house, Ben,” Leia said. “It’s too big for me, and you have a home in Virginia. There's no business here for you to return to, anyway. I’m going to move to San Francisco, close to my doctor.”

“Well, it’s yours to sell,” Ben agreed, then cringed. “Is there a third thing to tell us, and do I want to know?”

“Yes, and hopefully you’ll find it’s happier news. Lando asked me to marry him and I said yes.” The look on Leia’s face dared either of them to object. Rey was thrilled to hear it, and moved forward to hug the older woman. Ben was more subdued with his congratulations.

“That is good news, Mom. I hope you two are happy for many years to come,” he said, taking her hand and inspecting her fingers. “No ring?”

“It’s in my pocket. I thought we’d have a reveal.” This came from Lando, who returned with a glass for Leia. Mia followed with a pillow for Leia’s head. Lando then produced a velvet box containing a platinum band with an emerald cut sapphire flanked by two smaller diamonds.

“It’s almost like the one on Grandpa’s ring,” Ben said as he and Rey admired it. He reached up to shake Lando’s hand.

Leia looked down at the ring, now on her finger. “I say it’s a nice trade for the house, and for my peace of mind. Plus, we have a new heirloom to pass down.”

Rey didn’t miss how Leia looked at her when she said it.

***

“Are you mad?”

“No. Why?” Ben was looking out the window into the darkening sky. They were somewhere over the Midwest, having changed planes in Dallas. Rey snuggled with him under a thin blanket provided by the airline. She’d never flown first class before, and decided she was spoiled for life as a result. Some of Luke’s vacation money would certainly end up eaten by a flight upcharge.

They held hands under the blanket, enjoying the extra legroom and fighting the temptation to join the mile club, if only in name. The airline hosts were too attentive on this quiet flight; every time Ben moved to slip his hand down the front of Rey’s pants somebody came by to offer them a cocktail.

“You’re brooding,” Rey said.

“I’m thinking.”

“Thinking doesn’t require that much frown. You look like Keanu about to destroy the Matrix.”

That got him to smile. “I’m still processing everything, I suppose. I get why Mom wants to sell the house and marry Lando. It feels like it’s so sudden, but it’s taken years to get to this point,” he said. “It may sound weird, too, but a part of me still wondered if my parents would reconcile.”

“Those few minutes I spent alone with Leia at the hospital, Ben...I saw it in her eyes. She and Lando are in love.”

“Good for them. Do they have to elope to Hawaii, though?” He gave a nervous laugh at the idea of it. “Less gaudy than Vegas, I suppose.”

“I think it’s romantic.”

Ben nipped at her ear. “So do I.”

They passed the remainder of the flight discussing the future of the Alderaan property and business. Phasma willing, Ben’s room would remain intact after the sale. Ben’s thought was that Jaina and Jacen could view it as a sign that he would visit them again. Mother would step down as CEO and remain at Alderaan for one year minimum, as Han hoped, to see the IPO launch successfully. Mia would likely move on from Alderaan and remain directly under Leia’s employ.

“Part of me wishes she’d move East,” Ben said. “It would be nice to have her closer.”

“It might still happen,” Rey said.

“Not if she marries Lando. He has family there. Grandkids. I can’t compete with that.” He leaned into her. “Not that I’m hinting at anything.”

“I know.” She laughed. “Let’s take care of our business ‘children’ first.”

Their flight arrived in Richmond on time, and both were tired by the time they found the car in the long-term lot. Rey texted Ahsoka that she didn’t have to wait up. A late-night backup on I-64 kept them in traffic longer than anticipated, and by the time they rolled into Skywalker Vineyards it was half past midnight.

Rey yawned. “I’ve never flown West to East before. You must have been exhausted the night of the party.”

“I got over it.” Ben turned into the driveway leading to the house. “Now I just want to fall into bed with you. Can we make that happen?”

Rey had wanted to break the news to Ahsoka in person. If her mother was asleep, she supposed it wouldn’t hurt to share Ben’s bed, even if it meant slipping through the bathroom into her room early in the morning. Rey hated to deceive her, though.

“We have company,” Ben said. Parked next to Luke’s truck was the Djarin Farms truck and a Lexus with vanity plates - G&LERSO. A rather unusual combination of people for Ahsoka to entertain so late.

“Din and the Ersos? Lyra and Ahsoka belong to the same book club, but they don’t typically meet this late,” Rey said. It didn’t explain the presence of the men, either.

Rey tugged on Ben’s hand to walk around the house to the front porch, where she heard voices. She called out a hello and rounded to where the foursome sat -- Galen and Lyra on the rockers and Ahsoka with Din on the wicker love seat. Coffee cups rested on the ground and in hands, and their conversation veered into greetings as she and Ben joined them.

“Ben.” Lyra leaned forward in her chair and reached for his hand. “How’s your mother?”

“She’s great. She’s home resting, and said to say thanks to everybody for praying and thinking of her.” He nodded when the woman brought up her other hand to pat him.

Ahsoka stood up and hugged Rey. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer.”

“It’s been a rough few days,” Rey agreed. Her gaze fixed on Din for a moment, who looked suddenly uncomfortable. “There’s lots to tell, and I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but I don’t think I can stay awake.”

Ahsoka’s guests voiced their understanding and wished her goodnight. Ben saw her to the door. “You okay?” he asked.

“Fine, just tired,” she said. “I’ll be in my room to start.” She spoke low so nobody else would hear.

“I’ll give you a few minutes.”

Rey stepped into the living room, thinking of how Ahsoka looked oh so close to a man sitting in Luke’s place.


	33. Chapter 33

Rey entered her room, set her purse on the bed, and sat down in her desk chair. She’d been truthful with Ahsoka; she was bone tired from the trip. The Ersos were pleasant enough people when they wanted to be, but right now she wanted to slip out of her clothes and into bed. Preferably with Ben.

The picture of Ahsoka squeezed next to Din, with his knee just touching Ahsoka’s, bloomed clear in her mind. The two were friends, but they were sitting awfully close together. Of course, it was a small love seat. Seeing them chatting with the Ersos on the front porch, though, they looked like happy couples on a double date.

Ahsoka and Luke sat together on that same love seat often, almost every morning before work. They’d make coffee, map out their respective days, and cuddle. More than once Rey had come out to find them kissing like teenagers.

_It’s too soon, isn’t it? Am I just imagining it?_ Din was a nice guy, a good father to Grogu. Always polite to her and the girls at the inn. If he’d harbored any feelings for Ahsoka, before or after Luke, she hadn’t noticed.

She heard a car door shut, and looked out her window. The back lights of Din’s truck glowed red and grew smaller as he retreated. The Ersos’ car followed close behind. She hoped they hadn’t left on her account.

A noise alerted her to the door. Ahsoka, she presumed, slipped the white envelope under the crack. Another missive from beyond the grave. Rey grabbed it.

_My dear Rey,_

_It should go without saying that I rarely talked to you about my wife Mara. For one, I wasn’t certain if you ever wanted to know about her, especially during the time when Ahsoka and I were first exploring a relationship beyond boss and employee. I figured if you were curious you’d ask, but as of this writing you haven’t. You can skip the next few paragraphs if you still aren’t interested._

_I met Mara Jade in college. I needed a phys ed course as part of my core curriculum, so I chose what I thought would be the easiest sport my school offered: fencing. Yeah, I wasn’t that bright._

_Mara was a classmate and a damn good fencer, president of the club on campus. More than once she knocked me on my ass. I suspect she initially agreed to go out with me out of pity._

_We shared a love for hiking and fine wine. The sex was passionate and ethereal. She dreamed of buying a large house to convert into a bed and breakfast, not necessarily in Virginia. My family’s history in the wine business fascinated her, and at one point we were seriously prepared to return to my family fold in California when, during a Sunday drive, we came upon an open house for the place in which you may still be living._

_We fell in love with the home. We saw the surrounding land, and the opportunity, so I asked my family to buy me out of Alderaan. I started the winery on five acres, then ten. When the couple in the big house next door decided to sell… well, I think you know the rest. We were not married long due to her unexpected illness, but the years we had were glorious and loving. During her last days I’d hold her hand, crying like a baby and wondering how in the hell I could continue running a growing winery plus the inn that was to be hers, without her._

_Mara made me promise to not live the rest of my life alone. At first, the thought of being with another woman horrified me, more so that my own wife insisted upon it. For two years, I refused to heed her because it hurt too much. I channeled my grief and my love for her into Skywalker and Amidala. That’s why we’re rich. :-)_

_Then I got to know your mother better; however you call her, I see Ahsoka as your mother. She raised you. It wasn’t love immediately. She was nice when we met, but a woman like any other drifting around my life. If you asked me, I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the exact moment I believed she could be something more in my life. Let’s just agree that time heals wounds and things happen. Until the day I do die, I’m grateful to Mara for encouraging me to move on._

_Rey, after I finish this letter I intend for Ahsoka to make the same promise to me that I made to Mara. You’re reading this now, which means there is a new man in her life, or about to be one because she has decided it’s time._

_Rey, this is important: this is what I want. It will not bother me if it happens before the traditional one-year period of mourning ends. Love won’t acknowledge a pause button. It comes for you when it does. Look at me, I waited two years. Imagine if I had worked up the courage sooner. Ahsoka and I could have had more time as lovers._

_If Ahsoka meets somebody nine months after I croak...three months...three weeks, I hope you will support her and not give her new fellow a hard time. You say you will always be at Amidala House, but you won’t necessarily live with Ahsoka forever. If you choose to live with a partner, Ahsoka deserves that same opportunity._

_Don’t be mad at her, or her new man, for taking it._

_All my love,_

_Luke_

“I’m not mad at her, Luke,” she said. She had to admit she was worried. She never heard a disparaging word about Din; he paid her well when she babysat his son. His presumed interest in Ahsoka was unexpected, though. Couldn’t he have waited a few months at least?

Maybe he didn’t want to get scooped. Rey shivered. How many more men were lurking now that Ahsoka was single again?

_Rey, come on. You’re tired._

Rey returned the letter to its envelope and put it with the rest, then left to find her mother. Ahsoka was in her bedroom, cross-legged on the bed, focused on her phone.

She took a moment to study the space. Ahsoka and Luke had shared this room, that bed, for years. Ahsoka had removed his clothes for donation, but traces of Luke remained. His watch on the bureau, next to a bottle of cologne. His field hat hanging from a hook on the bathroom door. The walking stick leaning in the corner.

And on his nightstand, three photos of three different women. Mara in her wedding dress, Ahsoka sitting on a fence, Rey in her high school cap and gown.

“I came to apologize,” Rey said.

Ahsoka darkened her phone screen and set the device on her table, her gaze on Rey. “What for?”

“I could have been nicer to your company.”

“Rey, they understood. You and Ben had a long trip,” Ahsoka said.

“There’s more.” Rey paused. “I saw you and Din sitting together and got the wrong idea.”

Ahsoka’s face froze. “How so?”

“It looked like you two were...on a date. I don’t know, I guess traveling all day and being tired,” Rey babbled on, “I started thinking uncharitably. Your personal life is none of my business.”

“You’re right that it’s not, and I forgive you if you want to apologize. I always will,” Ahsoka said softly, and gestured for Rey to join her. They sat together, Ahsoka holding her daughter and stroking her hair. “I should apologize as well for not giving you advanced notice. This evening out was kind of spontaneous.”

“How long have you two...I mean…”

Ahsoka drew her legs under her chin. “Rey,” she chided, “you and I have been together constantly until you left for California. How could I possibly have time to sneak around? And I didn’t really see tonight as a date. Din’s son’s band was playing at Seven Arrows and he thought I might like to hear them. The Ersos were there for dinner and invited us to sit with them, then we all came back here for coffee. We talked.” She exhaled slowly. “Tonight I think I talked more about Luke than anything else. I’m sure Din left here tonight deciding he won’t call back, so don’t think you scared him off.”

Not from where Rey stood. She recalled the glow in Din’s expression as she and Ben alighted the porch steps. He was smitten.

“Anyway,” Ahsoka continued, patting Rey’s knee, “I appreciate your apology, though I don’t know it’s warranted. How was the flight back?”

“Long. I said I wanted to go straight to bed but I’m pretty keyed up now after reading Luke’s letter.” She gave a short laugh, then steeled her nerves. She couldn’t look at Ahsoka. “I had something to tell you when we got home. Ben and I...we made love while we were at the estate.”

“Okay.” Ahsoka sounded as though she wasn’t sure how to react. “It’s what you both wanted?”

“Yes. I’m telling you now because, since we both live in this house I don’t think I can go back to sleeping in my own room. Ben doesn’t want us sleeping apart anymore, and I don’t want to sneak around.”

“Is that what you were thinking about me? That I was sneaking Din here while you were away?” Ahsoka laughed off the notion and hugged Rey. “Rey, I’m glad you told me this, and as I stressed before I will be up front with you if and when I resume dating in earnest.”

“You gave me Luke’s letter tonight.” She summarized its contents. “It was supposed to be given to me when you started dating. Luke told you to date again...why give me the letter now?”

Ahsoka shrugged. “Preventative measures, I suppose. Best you hear it now before you’re really surprised.” She sighed. “Look, I don’t know what will happen. I may see Din again, I may date another man down the road, I may be a widow forever. Let’s let life move forward take its course.”

Rey supposed that made sense. “Okay, but you’re not freaked out about this?” Rey asked. “Me and Ben?”

“Well, it was inevitable, wasn’t it? I know you two have at least shared a few kisses since he moved here.”

“Somebody told you.”

Ahsoka slowly shook her head. “No, I figured it out. I didn’t think you were using the same shaving soap as he. I could smell it on you.”

“I’m in love with him.”

Her mother smiled. “I get by your body language that California was the first time for you and him.”

“The first time for me, period.”

Ahsoka’s lips parted and she gasped. “Really? Rey, I didn’t know. You dated in college, I assumed it happened a while back.”

“No. It wasn’t like I was waiting for Ben, either. Sex wasn’t a priority for me like it was for my friends. I had the inn work, and I’m not totally naive. I have a toy in my room.”

“Well, I have one here.”

Rey’s squeezed her eyes shut for a second. “ _Any_ way, I was talking about Ben and I being acquainted since I was little. That’s not weird to you that we’re lovers now?”

Ahsoka stood up and paced around the bed. “Rey, you and Ben didn’t grow up together. Two separate occasions when we were here, he came to stay for a few months. At every stage you were two different people,” she said. “Personally I don’t see anything wrong. You’re an adult, and so is he. Luke was significantly older than I was when we got together, so I’d be a hypocrite to say I can’t condone your relationship.”

Her face darkened. “Unless...Rey, was Ben ever inappropriate with you that summer --”

“No!” Rey jumped up. “No, never. He was almost like an older brother then.”

Ahsoka didn’t relax. “I seem to remember you acting oddly around him once or twice, even before the egg incident.”

“Because I was a hormonal teenager with a crush who wanted him to notice me, but he didn’t. And when he didn’t, it upset me. I didn’t want an older brother.” She supposed she could look back and laugh now. “That’s why I wanted to know if you were uncomfortable with this.”

Ahsoka held Rey by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Rey, it doesn’t matter what I think, or what anybody else here thinks. If you and Ben have romantic feelings for each other, he is the one who matters. I’m thinking he’s not uncomfortable with this otherwise there wouldn’t be a relationship.” She dipped her head to look up at Rey. “Why are you crying? I’d think you’d be happy.”

“I am.” Rey wiped away her tears. “This is all so new, and so much happened while we were away. It took awhile for us to get to this place, too. Our first kiss was over a month ago, in the cellar.”

Ahsoka tilted back her head and her smile widened. It spoke to Rey of many intimate memories. “I can’t think of a better place for a first kiss,” she said.

“Ben told me Luke told him he used to take you down there.”

“Oh, yes. Once in a while we’d take some pillows and blankets, open a bottle, keep the lights low.” Ahsoka laughed softly. “Then later he’d hold a barrel tasting for the Ersos and smile to see them standing in the same spot where we’d made love.”

Ray laughed hard at that. Ahsoka drew her into a hug, and Rey felt safe and warm. For a moment, too, like she was young again with her mother there to kiss and make it better.

“If you want to move into Ben’s room, I’m okay with it,” Ahsoka said. “He should be as well, though.”

“Oh, he is.” Where was he now? Rey pulled away and dashed into the bathroom to splash water on her face. “I better go find him,” she called out. “I hope he’s not thinking we’re up here arguing.”

Ahsoka laughed. “I doubt it. I love you, and I love Ben. It’s late, go get some sleep. We can talk more at breakfast.”

Rey kissed her mother goodnight and walked straight to Ben’s room. Her heart caught in her throat on finding it empty.


	34. Chapter 34

Ben wasn’t anywhere in the house. She stepped outside and listened for a moment, hearing light laughter and chatter drifting from the direction of the inn. She followed the sound to the backyard firepit, a circular structure made of brick, surrounded by Adirondack chairs. Ben sat in one opposite an older couple finishing off a bottle.

The woman caught sight of Rey and braced the arms of her chair, lifting to stand. “Mr. Solo, it looks like your wife has tracked you down. We should be getting off to bed anyway. The time just flew.”

Ben didn’t correct them. Rey didn’t mind. He introduced the couple briefly and they bade the inn guests goodnight. Once alone, Ben pulled her close and kissed her.

“Everything okay? I figured I’d give you two some space, so I went for a walk. I wasn’t expecting to see night owls.” He nodded toward the inn’s back door. “Nice people. I think I sold them on a club membership.”

“Wonderful. You’re in the contest now.”

Ben laughed. “Sounds like a conflict of interest.”

“Well...” Rey drew out the word. “You make the sale at the inn, maybe either Jannah or Zorii should get the credit.”

“I think I’ll save it for a tiebreaker, then.” He smiled down at her. “You didn’t answer me.”

“You’ll think I’m silly for saying this, but I got the impression Din Djarin has a thing for Ahsoka.”

His arm around her waist, they started back to the house. “You’re not silly. I saw it, too. When I saw you realizing it, I got out of the line of fire.”

Rey nodded. “I guess I set a precedent for freaking out at the will reading. I’m doing better, you know.”

“Does the idea of Ahsoka dating bother you?”

Rey thought back to Luke’s letter, then Leia came to mind. Their second chances occurred under different circumstances, but in each example they waited. In Leia’s case, it might have come too late had she not recovered. It dismayed Rey to think Leia could have missed out on a happy romance.

Luke had said he couldn’t remember when Ahsoka caught his eye in the romantic sense. It saddened Rey that she never asked him. “It doesn’t. I was thinking about something that happened when I was ten. Ashoka and I were feeding the chickens, and I accidentally left the gate open. One of them got out.”

They reached the front porch and shared the love seat. “It had rained the night before, and that chicken was motoring straight for the vines. We locked up the pen and ran to catch it.” The scene played out in Rey’s mind like a lucid dream. “Luke was out in the field, coming back from pruning work, and here comes this chicken clucking up the hill. Ahsoka decides enough is enough and makes a dive for it.”

Ben shook with quiet laughter.

“She lands flat on her stomach, the chicken captured in her arms, and skids in a patch of mud right in front Luke,” Rey said. “This point in time, we didn’t see much of him because he was always at the winery. He basically gave Ahsoka autonomy where the inn was concerned. He’s looking down at her with this bewildered expression, then starts laughing.”

Rey rested her head in the crook of Ben’s neck. “That was the moment he fell in love with her. I believe that. Yet, he didn’t ask her out for about three months after that day,” she said. “I don’t know why he waited, but I will say this: Ahsoka shouldn’t have to wait if she doesn’t want to.”

Ben kissed her temple. “You know what’s funny? My last girlfriend dumped me three years ago. Three years between her and you,” he said. “In that time I had many first and only dates, many opportunities to settle, and every time something in the back of my mind nagged at me. None of them were right for the long haul.

“When I had you on that dance floor, annoyed with me and hot as hell in that dress,” he continued, “I knew. I went to bed that night so relieved there wasn’t a woman in California wondering why I hadn’t called, or one in Virginia _with_ me wondering why I was dancing so close to you.”

Rey’s stomach fluttered.

“Sometimes it’s okay to jump, sometimes it’s okay to wait. I’m so glad I waited, Rey.”

“ _Je t'aime_ , Ben.”

“ _Je t'aime aussi_ ,” he told her, then smiled. “ _Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?_ ”

“Oh hell, yes.”

***

Rey bypassed her room and quietly followed Ben into his. In their shared bathroom, she shucked the pants she’d worn for three days straight along with the rest of her clothes into her hamper, before readying for bed. The door to her room remained closed; she no longer saw the need for pajamas of any sort. She intended to sleep skin-to-skin with Ben from now on.

Ben blocked her from exiting while he brushed his teeth. As he studied his face in the mirror, Rey imagined he was debating a late shave. He’d ignored his beard growth in California, and he’d definitely sprouted in places. Maybe he’d consider growing out a bit more, though from his expression she got the feeling he wanted to get rid of the mustache along with it.

She pressed against his torso and put her arms around his waist before he could reach for the shaving bowl. “That can wait. Come to bed.”

“ _Chérie_ ,” he said, stroking his chin, “I know you love it, but it drives me nuts. All of it.”

“I can’t help it, Ben. When you scrape my thighs with your stubble... that friction is wild.”

Ben had his hand on her bare bottom. He turned her body and moved it to cup her pussy. “Hey, do I ask you to do anything to this?”

Rey kept her mound trimmed close, but never Brazilian bare. “You like it this way, though.”

“I like you every way. I like _me_ clean shaven. Maybe a compromise,” he suggested. “Let me shave it off now and I’ll grow it back in the winter.”

“It won’t count as a Christmas gift, so you know.” Rey pouted and stroked his upper lip. “Fine, but at least give me one last night to say goodbye.”

Ben relented. As they made love into the small hours, he worshiped every inch of her before settling in between her legs for some mind-blowing oral. At its peak, Rey bit into a pillow to keep from screaming and waking Ahsoka and the inn.

“Tell me,” she said between breaths when he finished, “how is that better when you’re clean shaven?”

Ben slid his cock into her wet pussy and undulated his pelvis gently. “Try it once and see.”

Rey closed her eyes and let Ben have her. He _was_ right about the rim job, why not?


	35. Chapter 35

_About one year later_

The first morning of Skywalker’s anniversary weekend dawned with a clear sky and comfortable temperatures. A chamber of commerce day, was what Luke might have called it. Definitely one guaranteed to attract wine drinkers, as Rey noticed by cars turning in half an hour before the winery’s opening to claim a spot on the lawn.

She waited with Zorii by the chicken house while the other woman gathered the day’s yield. They’d cycled through layers over the last year and now tended to a new flock of six hens and a rooster, all named for _Game of Thrones_ characters. “Looks like a nice day to drink,” Rey remarked, watching Sansa and Arya peck at the ground.

“Even nicer day for a wedding,” Zorii said, and zipped the egg carrier. “I still think it’s odd to have it today, with so many people expected.”

Rey shrugged. “It was really the best time, what with work schedules and other days taken.” Thanks in part to Hux Distributors getting the word out about the winery, Skywalker was becoming a popular destination wedding spot. In the last year, she and the inn crew finally cleaned out the innkeeper’s cottage, upgraded everything, and rented it out to honeymooners and families as a private retreat. All the other dates set aside for weddings had been booked, leaving tonight the only solution for the happy couple.

“Besides, the wedding ceremony and reception aren’t until after closing,” Rey said. “One group goes out at closing, the other comes in.” The ballroom, closed off to day guests, was already set up.

The back door of the inn opened and out stepped Jim, a hospitality management major at Virginia Tech interning through the summer. The extra hands here allowed Rey to devote more time to the winery side, and consequently more time spent with Ben. Not that it meant hanky panky in the office or hidden nooks around the property. Her presence helped cement Ben’s partnership with Poe, so much that both agreed to remain working together indefinitely.

Jim called for Zorii’s help in the kitchen, and Rey took the cue to begin her day as well. She was dressed for today’s event in a Skywalker Polo and khakis, and as she walked the dirt road toward the winery she spotted more people in similar dress. Twenty minutes to opening, and the flurry of activity had yet to peak.

As an experiment this year, they hired an agency to provide temp workers with winery experience to operate more tasting stations. The parking lot was limited to VIP guests and club members; everybody else would park offsite and shuttle in through buses hired by WineBot and other companies. Rey walked past the Ersos’ car and saw Jyn emerge from the back seat.

“Walk up with me,” Rey called to her friend, and waved at an obviously content Galen. Ben had made a point about keeping the man happy. He’d spent a fortune in Skywalker wine over the past year for corporate gifts.

Jyn was carrying a garment bag and shoes. “Can I stow this in the bridal room? I didn’t want to go home and change.”

“I put my stuff in there last night. No worries.” They walked past the Tico sisters’ food truck. Just one was scheduled for today, and Rose was setting up with Armitage’s help. This meant Paige had the second truck working elsewhere.

“You think he’s the one?” Jyn nodded toward the couple. “I haven’t seen Rose out with anybody else in the last several months.”

“Looks it. We’re all pairing off around here,” Rey said. She thought of Ahsoka and Din, and how Wedge and Bazine seemed sweet on each other lately. Ben was right, there was something about this place that inspired romantic feelings. She nudged her friend. “You’ll be next.”

“Please. Who’s left?” Jyn laughed.

Good question. Maybe it was time for Rey to come out of matchmaking retirement.

Inside, extra tasting stations were set up, along with a booth for club member case pickup. Rey would be working as an attendant in the VIP room today; she’d taken to the work easily over the last few months thanks to Ben’s tutelage. She felt more confident about discussing the wines with guests, and enjoyed learning every step of the process from harvesting to barrel and tank aging. She hoped wherever Luke was in the grand cosmos, he was aware of it and proud of her.

She and Jyn split off, and she found Ben among a knot of people -- among them Kay and Beau and her in-laws. Ben was cuddling her baby son, speaking French to him. When he saw Rey he handed off the child and broke free to greet her with a kiss.

It felt good to express themselves in the open, though Rey figured pretty much everybody knew by the time they went public.

“ _Bonjour_ ,” he said. “ _Pouvons-nous parler en privé?_ ” He didn’t give her time to answer, but steered her toward the back into their shared office. Luke’s name remained on the door, which he closed before drawing Rey into a loose embrace.

After tapering off their kiss, Ben nuzzled her ear. “Why are we doing so much today? Are we masochists?”

“Come on.” Rey patted his back. “You’ve been excited about this for weeks.”

“I was, until the enormity of it hit me this morning.”

Rey pulled back and studied his face. Clean shaven. While she adored it, she was counting the days to November when the big grow began again. “You didn’t seem so distracted before breakfast.”

“You’re quite attractive.”

She fiddled with his belt buckle. “We got time to relax you a bit more before we open?” she asked, pouting when he swatted at her hands.

“You start that now and we’ll be in this office all day,” he warned. “And you know somebody will come knocking.”

She was kidding, of course, but at least her attempt at humor worked. The tension in his features had melted. She kissed him again. “Let's get all these people their wine, and let’s pull off the wedding of the year.”

***

At five-thirty, the shuttle bearing the last group of anniversary celebrants was rumbling off the property. Around the same time, the caterers and band arrived. At six, the first wedding guests were trickling in to be sat in the ballroom, which was split to accommodate seating for the ceremony and tables for the reception. Unlike Luke’s farewell last year, this event was limited to family, close friends, and Skywalker employees.

Fifteen minutes to go time, Rey and Ahsoka checked her dresses and makeup in the anteroom, making small talk to tamp down their excitement. “Did you ever think this day would come?” Ahsoka asked her.

“Believe it or not, yes.” Rey helped her mother with a wayward at the nape of her neck. “Question is, do you think you’ll get here one day?”

She saw Ahsoka’s face tint pink at the question. Din was waiting for her in the ballroom, while his son set up his equipment. While her mother hadn’t confided in everything about her new romance, Rey guessed it was quite serious.

“Too early to tell,” Ahsoka said, and they left it at that.

A knock came at the door. “You decent?” Ben called from the other side. He entered, as handsome in his dark suit as the night when he and Rey reunited. This time, instead of a black bowtie, he wore a narrow blue tie with a small stitched-on Skywalker logo, to match the color of his boutonniere. “You are both very decent,” he said.

He held out his phone to them. “Thought you’d want to see this.” The screen displayed a photo of Leia and Lando leaning against the railing of a cruise ship, moonlit waters shimmering in the background. Leia, no longer a majority owner in Alderaan, was clearly enjoying her new marriage and retirement.

“When are they coming home, Ben?” Ahsoka said.

“Probably never. Every time we talk they add a new port of call to their trip.” Ben pocketed the phone. “Din is looking really nervous out there, and he’s not the one getting married.”

Ahsoka thanked him and left to go check, leaving Ben and Rey alone. He stood quietly a moment, admiring her pale blue, v-necked dress with asymmetrical pleats exposing her legs at the front. The chiffon material rustled with every step.

“I love it, but I was really hoping for that red number,” Ben said.

“I know.” Rey reached for her flowers. “That dress might be a bit too much for this crowd.”

“Yet it was fine for Uncle Luke’s party.”

Rey arched an eyebrow. “I’m not trying to prove anything tonight.”

Ben looped his arms in hers. “As long as you’re out of it later, I’m good.” He crooked his head toward the door. “We’re up.”

They stood at the entrance to the ballroom, seeing every seat in the wedding setup filled. A few heads turned to admire them, among them Ahsoka, Rose and Paige, and Jyn. She saw a few winemakers from around the region, including John Lobot with his wife; he’d shown no hard feelings about the 3 release, which was good.

Ben leaned into her. “I’ve never been a best man before,” he whispered.

“Neither have I. This will be fun.”

Rey looked behind them. Poe and Finn, each groom standing with his parents, waited for the procession to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Pouvons-nous parler en privé? - "May we talk in private?"


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. :-) If you made it this far, I thank you and hope you have enjoyed the story. 
> 
> If you have not read my other Reylos, currently I have available:
> 
> In Focus - rom-com, explicit, 79k words  
> Bra-Vado - rom-com, explicit, 10k words
> 
> Coming soon in Reylo:
> 
> Happy Little Trees - Contemporary AU romance  
> XXX REY - Contemporary AU BDSM romance  
> Their Butterfly - Contemporary AU Breylo erotica
> 
> Thank you for being a friend.

As Rey watched Poe and Finn dance their first as a married couple, she thanked them silently for their foresight regarding the wedding photos. They’d been taken days prior on a sunny day when customer traffic was low, and she couldn’t wait to see the end result. She hoped the ones of her and Ben came out well. Leia was nagging her via text for prints.

The band coaxed Ben and Rey, as best persons for Poe and Finn respectively, onto the floor for the next dance, and afterward each paired off with a groom to the crowd’s delight. Finn relaxed and even laughed to see Poe lead his taller work partner around the floor. “You were right, Rey,” he told her as the music played. “I was imagining things back then.”

They each got through their toasts with minimal nerves and much applause, and Poe and Finn’s fathers also delivered kind words that brought on misty emotions. When the band resumed play and couples flooded the floor, Rey was about to refill her wineglass at the bar when Ben tugged her closer to the back door.

“Let’s sneak off.”

Rey laughed, but he was serious. “Where? What if somebody comes looking?”

“I already told Poe, and he’s fine with it. We’ve done our duty and we’ve had a long day. It’s time for a break,” Ben said.

“We’ll miss the cake.”

“Ahsoka will save us a slice.”

He thought of everything, apparently, except for her reluctance. Yet as she looked out at the crowd she knew this was Poe and Finn’s night. Friends and family had come to support them. Nobody would miss the other Skywalker co-owners.

“This better be worth missing cake.”

Ben gave her a look that said _trust me_. Five minutes later, as he led her into the reserve cellar and she saw what he’d prepared for her there, she turned and said. “Worth it.”

***

Flameless candles, pillars of varying thickness, lined the tasting bar and surrounded the sitting area. Ben had laid out a few sleeping bags with blankets, along with a bottle of Skywalker’s reserve sparkling white chilling in a bucket. They started out on the sofa and toasted their first year together, as partners and more, and kissed.

Later, the sofa held their discarded clothes while they made love on the floor, the wedding party raging on not far away. Rey wasn’t thinking about Poe and Finn and their guests, though, or of the prospect of hosting the Ersos for another barrel tasting in this same spot. She focused on the beautiful man lying underneath her while she slowly rode him to orgasm.

When he climaxed this time, he arched his back and cried out her name. Rey rubbed her palms up and down his chest, bending down to lick one nipple then the other, enjoying how his body twitched with the pleasure she gave. She stayed mounted on him as long as possible, and when he became too soft to hold inside her she lay pressed to his side as he covered them with a blanket.

“Can we live here?” she asked.

“It would cut the commute significantly,” Ben said. “Are you happy, Rey?”

What kind of question was that? She was delirious with joy, and not just now in the afterglow. “That sounds ominous. Why are you asking?” Typically such a question preceded bad news.

“Nothing like that,” he said when she voiced her concern. “I like to check on you, and remind you that you never have to keep anything from me, even emotions. If you feel something is wrong you say so.”

“I will, when it happens.”

Ben turned onto his side, facing her. “I was thinking, it’s been a year, and you still haven’t gone on your Disney trip yet.”

Really? That concerned him? “It’s been a busy year,” she said. “I wasn’t going in the peak of summer, and then I had to train the interns. Plus we took another trip to California for Thanksgiving and then your mother and Lando were here for Christmas.” Not only that, but Ben’s siblings were flying over for their Easter break, so this month was out as well.

“All right,” Ben said, raising a hand in surrender. “Just don’t forget to book it. Speaking of forgetting, I can’t with this.” He reached over and grabbed something from under the sofa. “Ahsoka wanted for you to read this now.”

“Now?” It was one of Luke’s letters. Was she supposed to read it to herself, or with Ben here?

Ben rested his head on a propped up arm. “I didn’t know Luke had left you these. I thought I was the only he’d written to before he died.”

“You were getting them, too?” When did Luke find the time between work and battling illness to build up all this correspondence? “Can I ask what they said?”

“I’ll let you read them if you want,” he offered. “They were mostly about the winery, and how he hoped Poe and I would continue working together. I don’t think that’s a problem.”

“Did he mention me in any of them?”

“One or two.” Ben didn’t elaborate. “I haven’t read them all, though. You can read that out loud or to yourself. Up to you.”

Rey already decided to share it. Nothing good ever came of keeping secrets. She opened the letter and began to read.

_My dear Rey,_

_For this milestone, I had to think of what to say. I didn’t want to send a generic message for such an important time in your life. I also considered the possibility that this particular moment might not happen for you, and therefore you may never read this letter._

_What I ended up doing, and you’ll think it’s weird but bear in mind I’m lying in bed with nothing else better to do, was writing two letters. I gave Ahsoka instructions, if and when the time comes, to give you the correct one and destroy the other._

_If you’re reading this one, it means you’re about to marry Ben._

Rey stopped reading. Her heart got in the way of her throat and she had to swallow hard. “Luke,” she whispered. “How did he --”

She let the letter fall and saw Ben, who was now sitting up and holding open a ring box containing a sapphire solitaire on a platinum band. The stone’s color matched the ring he now wore.

“Rey, _ma chérie_ ,” he said, “ _veux-tu m'épouser_?”

“ _Oh, mon Dieu...oui_. Ben, yes!” She crushed the letter hugging Ben, and sobbed happily as he held her. “I’ll marry you tomorrow. Tonight.” Had the officiant left yet? “I love you so much.”

“I love you more,” Ben said, laughing. “Wow, I’m glad you said yes, or that letter would have been so awkward.”

The letter. Rey pulled back and smoothed out its wrinkles, but not before Ben slid on the ring. She admired it for a moment, watching the faceted jewel twinkle in the candlelight. “Did you know what the letter said?” she asked.

“No. Well, a bit,” Ben said. “I told Ahsoka what I planned to do and she gave me that envelope. I had a feeling it was about you getting married, but I didn’t expect to hear my name.”

Better read the rest then. Rey picked up where she left off.

_If you’re reading this one, it means you’re about to marry Ben. In all honesty, I hope this is the letter you’re given. Nothing would make me happier to see the two of you married. My only regret is that I won’t be there to give you away._

_You’re probably thinking, did I predict this? I didn’t. Nor did I actually plan it. Why write this, then?_

_I knew, once Ben took on the responsibility of partner in Skywalker, the two of you would spend much time together. You would see for yourself his qualities and shortcomings, and in the end know the former far outweighs the latter, and that Ben would make for an excellent romantic partner as well._

_Also, don’t think I wasn’t aware of how you looked at him when you thought none of us were looking at you. This, of course, was before the egg incident, and I’m glad Ben was and remains a man of integrity. I never had to worry about you._

_Regardless of whatever hard feelings you had for Ben in your youth following that rough patch, and perhaps after the will reading and in the early days of new ownership, I envisioned you eventually softening toward him. Ben is my nephew, and I like to think he favors the Skywalker side of his heritage more than the Solos. He is intelligent and kind-hearted, ethical and hard-working, and like all Skywalker men is incredibly good-looking._

“He’s quite perceptive,” said Ben. Rey nudged him and continued.

_I haven’t imparted these observations to Leia or Ahsoka, and I don’t know their thoughts on the two of you getting together. I’ve kept quiet, I suppose, because I didn’t want either of them to get the idea they needed to help a romance along, and in turn repel you from Ben instead. If you’re reading this, I need not worry. I hope they are positive and that they would support you._

_I wish you both many wonderful years. I hope you will be as happy as I was with Mara, and with your mother. Just so you know, Luke is an excellent name for a first born son._

_All my love,_

_Luke_

Rey folded the letter and set it on the sofa. “I could never pull one over on Luke,” she said. “Anytime I tried to hide something, he knew.” She turned to Ben. “Did he leave a wedding day letter for you, too?”

“He did, but I didn’t think to bring it. We can wait on that one, if you like, or read it when we get home.”

“Maybe later?” Rey brought a hand up to cup his cheek. “I want to make love to my fiance first.”

Rey settled back and let Ben cover her this time, kissing her deeply as he explored her body with his hands. Around them some of the candles dimmed but she paid them no mind. She focused on her future with Ben, at work and play, in sickness and in health, forever entwined with him.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. veux-tu m'épouser - "...will you marry me?"  
> 2\. Oh, mon Dieu...oui - "Oh, my God...yes."


End file.
